Former Vice President Mike Pence asked Georgians to vote and pray for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, his family and “everything they’ve been through,” days before the vote at a rally in Cumming, Georgia, on Tuesday.
Pence sided with Kemp, who former President Donald Trump sought to defect from the Republican Party earlier this year, praising the incumbent as “one of the most successful conservative governors in the United States.”
“I want to encourage you, if you’re inclined to bow your head and bend your knee from time to time, the next six and a half days would be a good time to do that,” Pence said. “I want to encourage you to pray for this good family. Please pray for all they have endured for you so that Georgia can be more prosperous and safer.
While Trump has done everything in his power to see that Kemp rejects the Republican nomination for a second term, Pence re-nominated Kemp in an act of political revenge after Kemp refused to confirm his lies about voter fraud in Georgia two years ago. made a credible claim to recovery. election.
Pence noted his support for Kemp in the hotly contested 2018 GOP primary, saying he “supported Brian Kemp before it was cool,” and called the governor in Georgia “a very good candidate” for the country under the Trump administration. He praised him for promoting a different agenda.
Asked after his remarks whether a Kemp victory would provide a “blueprint” for other Republicans, Pence didn’t bite, telling reporters that he was “fully focused on 2022” and that Kemp had “a deep connection with these people.” said. state.”
When pressed about which candidates he would campaign for, Pence said he would support the entire GOP slate without naming Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker.
“I support all the tickets in Georgia, but I’m here today for Governor Brian Kemp,” Pence said. “We’ve probably never had a better partner in our time in the White House for economic growth, law and order, and our values.
Pence also repeatedly praised Kemp’s decision to reopen businesses in late April 2020 in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Georgia is the first state in America to reopen and Brian Kemp is on his way,” Pence said to applause. But the decision was frowned upon even by Trump at the time, who told reporters at the time that he disagreed with the move and that it would come “very soon,” and told Kemp as much.
In his remarks, Kemp spoke about his decision, saying, “Georgians are not going to sit in their basements, losing everything they have because of the virus,” and noted that the move has contributed to the state’s current economic growth.
Pence also defended Georgia’s new voting laws passed in 2021, which added ballot restrictions and made absentee voting more difficult, while increasing the total number of days for early voting. . Turnout has been strong so far, breaking some state records.
Both Kemp and Pence opposed Abrams, describing him as too liberal for Georgia and criticizing his support for some criminal justice reform measures.
“Talk to your neighbors and your friends behind the fence, your colleagues, email your family across the state, tweet if you have to,” Pence said as Kemp laughed behind him. “Tell someone about Brian Kemp.”
