Kemp weighs in on midterms and possible presidential bid. What he said

As pimento cheese sandwiches were gobbled down and Azalea-themed drinks were sipped at Augusta National this weekend, Georgia's governor was talking politics.

Gov. Brian Kemp sat down with Politico's On the Road with Jonathan Martin in Augusta to discuss the upcoming midterms, Republican's message going forward, possible presidential candidates and more while Rory McIlroy was on his way to a second green jacket.

Kemp said Republicans have a "tough cycle" ahead of them as Democrats "have been overperforming" in special elections in 2026. The governor has served two terms and is not eligible for reelection, meaning he is instead turning his focus toward the U.S. Senate race. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is running for reelection, and Kemp has endorsed fellow Georgia Bulldog Derek Dooley for the seat.

Kemp has also not endorsed any candidate in the gubernatorial primary, a race that has become quickly heated between current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and political outsider Rick Jackson for the Republican nomination.

Here's what the governor said about the next era of Georgia politics.

'I'd rather lose as a Republican than run as a Democrat'

Kemp, who grew up in the liberal Athens-Clarke County where the University of Georgia sits, ran two successful gubernatorial campaigns as a pragmatic Republican candidate, and despite showing support for President Trump in various times during his tenure, he never fully leaned in to the MAGA movement like other Georgia politicians.

"I'd rather lose as a Republican than run as a Democrat," Kemp said, when asked about his childhood in one of Georgia's liberal strongholds.

When asked whether this brand of classic conservatism was still active, Kemp said "I think it's alive in Georgia, for sure."

"Nationally, you know there is always these different waves that you see, whether it's like from, you know, obviously Obama was an incredible anomaly, first African-American president, historic. You have the really kind of amazing run that President Trump made, even though he's been around a long time, he kind of came out of nowhere to win the race in '16," Kemp said. "For me, (being Republican) means getting things done and standing up for what our beliefs are. I'm more principled than ever before."

Kemp clashed with national Republicans in 2020 when President Trump claimed the election had been stolen and cited voting fraud in Fulton County. The claims escalated during the Biden presidency when Trump wanted Kemp to help overturn the election results in Georgia. The claims eventually led to a raid of a Fulton County elections center south of Atlanta at the beginning of this year. It strained Kemp's relationship with the president, ultimately leading to Trump endorsing Kemp's primary challenger David Perdue in the governor's race in 2022.

"I stood up for myself, my values, and even people that were mad at me, they knew I wasn't going to be pushed over," Kemp said of the 2020 election. "For me right now, I'm looking forward in politics. There's no need to look in the rearview mirror. I've got a great relationship with the president, I've talked to him about a lot of policy issues, a lot of political issues. I committed to helping him win reelection in Georgia (in 2024)."

Who will be on the ballot in 2028?

When it came to what is next for Kemp, Martin pushed the governor on whether he would consider a 2028 presidential bid. Martin cited Kemp's very successful campaigns, lengthy voting and legislative history and role in a key state nationally.

Kemp pushed back, saying he would "let other people speculate on that," and said he is "focused on 2026."

"I've told a lot of Republicans out there, a midterm election with a Republican president is tough enough already, no matter who that president is, and we better stay focused on 2026," Kemp said. "If we don't stay focused like we were back (in 2018), because it's going to be very close to re-win our governor's race in Georgia, to get back the U.S. Senate race, that is what we need to focus on."

Kemp did, however, believe there would be a loaded Republican primary for president ahead of the 2028 election.

When asked about a possible Democrat from Georgia running for president, Kemp said Senator Raphael Warnock had more "presidential timber" than his fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff.

"I would probably say Warnock, but you know, Ossoff would probably be the liberals' choice," Kemp said. "I think Warnock would excite a lot of people in the Democratic primary. I don't know what he's thinking, but you know, I'm also not very worried about that."

Special election for Marjorie Taylor Greene's seat shows blue movement

On April 7, Republican district attorney Clay Fuller won a runoff race against Democrat Shawn Harris to replace former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in the U.S. House of Representatives. Fuller beat out a crowded Republican field in the initial election a month prior, but beat Harris by a much smaller margin than Greene had in 2024. All of the district's counties shifted blue, with Harris picking up significant ground ahead of the midterm in November where the two will face off again.

Fuller was appointed by Kemp, and Kemp supported his race along with Trump's endorsement. But Kemp said the voting trends were indicative of a tough election cycle to come.

"(In) special elections Democrats have been overperforming in the state... They got the energy, they've been overperforming," Kemp said. The governor said he was trying not to read too much into the Fuller results, but he's also not saying "everything's going to be great in November."

"We gotta have candidates that really stay focused on the issues that people care about. It's why also I think we need something different at the top of the ticket ... for the whole Republican ticket in Georgia."

Kemp said when he spoke to Fuller to congratulate him on the win, he emphasized that the race was not over, and Fuller needed to "keep choppin'."

Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].