May 24, 2022, 09:03pm
The endorsement power of former President Donald Trump was dealt a blow when Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp won the Republican nomination for governor.
On November 6, 2018, Brian Kemp attended an Election Night event at the [+] Center in Athens, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox is a photographer.
The race for Kemp was called by the AP. The vote was counted in the Eastern time.
Kemp led with 73% of the votes, with Perdue trailing with 22.3% and other candidates combining for 3.6%.
In the November general election, Kemp will face off against the Democrat who narrowly won the governor's race.
In a concession speech Tuesday, Perdue urged his supporters to support Kemp in the general election in order to defeat Abrams.
After Kemp refused to overturn the win of President Joe Biden in Georgia, Trump became enraged. The effort failed to connect with a Republican base that largely approved of the governor despite Trump attacking him more than any other GOP incumbent. The field for Perdue was cleared when Trump persuaded Vernon Jones to run for a House seat. Kemp had a clear double-digit advantage in the weeks leading up to the election and that never materialized. Perdue's campaign was behind Kemp in financing. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this month that Perdue only had $900,000 in cash on hand, while Kemp had more than $10 million.
Perdue's loss is significant for Trump because he wanted to oust Kemp. Results in high-profile races have been mixed, but the former president claims he has had a very successful endorsement record. Trump can boast of wins in contests like the Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial primary, Ohio Republican Senate primary and North Carolina Republican Senate primary, but Perdue's defeat adds to a growing list of losses for Trump-backed candidates.
Vernon Jones dropped out of the race for Georgia Governor after being pressured by Trump.
The investigation into Trump is heating up in Georgia.
The War of Words Begins as Trump-Chosen Perdue Enters Georgia Race.
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