Kemp stumps in Lanier, Berrien

Published 12:40 pm Friday, October 26, 2018

LAKELAND — Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp met with voters Friday in Lanier and Berrien counties, shaking hands, smiling at babies and hurling accusations at his opponent in the state’s upcoming gubernatorial race.

Kemp made an early morning stop at the Nashville Community Center in Berrien County, where a crowd of more than 100 supporters greeted his tour bus. Friday was the last day in Kemp’s three-day swing through South Georgia.

Later, after a stop in Atkinson County, he met a large crowd at the Threatte Center in Lakeland.

“We are in a fight for the future of our state,” said Kemp, the Repubican gubernatorial candidate. “This race is about our kids and grandkids.”

He told the crowd in Nashville that his Democratic opponent, Stacey Abrams, was “telling lies” about him to advance her “extremist agenda.”

“She has run the most dishonest campaign Georgia has ever seen,” he said.

Kemp claimed Abrams wanted to install a government-run single-payer medical system that would raise taxes by as much as $13,000 per person. He said he would cut taxes, reduce health-care premiums and save rural hospitals.

He also accused Abrams of seeking government benefits for illegal immigrants.

“We need a workable guest worker system … that streamlines the process” for farmers, he said. “We need to secure our borders, and I fully support President Trump on this.”

Kemp also said his opponent wants illegal immigrants to try to vote for her.

“I will work to protect the HOPE scholarship,” he told his Lakeland audience, referring to the lottery-funded program that provides college scholarships to Georgia students. “She wants to give it away to someone who’s here illegally.”

The secretary of state said he was proud of his work with local officials on plans to curtail gang violence and drug cartels.

Kemp said that, in order to battle teacher shortages, he would push programs to “grow” teachers in local communities over trying to recruit instructors to move to South Georgia. He also said he would back a $5,000 raise for each teacher in the state.

He told audiences in both counties that the eyes of the nation are on the Nov. 6 gubernatorial race in Georgia.

“The billionaires and socialists are trying to buy this race,” he said.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.