Georgia’s Anti-Elitist Governor Brian Kemp Will Speak at Davos

(Bloomberg) -- Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who railed against elite outside money being pumped into the state’s gubernatorial race last year, is speaking at the toniest economic conference in the world next week: Davos.

Kemp will be part of a panel of politicians speaking at the annual gathering of the world’s richest and most powerful. The session is called “America (Un) Bound.” 

Other US lawmakers scheduled to speak at the World Economic Forum include Democratic US Senators Chris Coons of Delaware and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, an independent.

Kemp became governor in 2019 after narrowly beating Democrat Stacey Abrams, who went on to become a national and global spokesperson for voting rights and one of the most prominent Democrats in the country.  

Kemp beat back both a primary challenger backed by former President Donald Trump and a general election rematch with Abrams to be reelected to a second term in November.

The primary challenge came after Kemp and other top GOP election officials blocked Trump’s attempts to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 win in the state.

In retaliation, Trump backed primary challengers for Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr. All Trump’s candidates lost, though none by as much as former US Senator David Perdue, who fell to Kemp by more than 50 percentage oints.

In November, Kemp beat Abrams by about seven percentage points, far more than four years earlier. He won in part by bashing her for ties to coastal and international elites.

About the upcoming Davos meeting, Kemp spokesman Andrew Isenhour said the governor would showcase the state’s economic record.

“Governor Kemp looks forward to traveling to Davos to share with leaders how the State of Georgia’s long record of conservative governance, protecting individual liberty, and championing opportunity can serve as a model for economic success across the country and around the world,” Isenhour said in an email.

(Updates with statement from Kemp spokesman in final two paragraphs)

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