National Republicans are now looking to Kemp to help Walker win over a swath of divided voters. Initially, the governor took on the task when it appeared that control of the Senate might once again belong to Georgia. But even after the Democrats won 50 seats, he happily went the extra mile for the team.
All is favorable for Mr. Kemp. No one would seriously blame him if he couldn’t rescue a lousy candidate like Mr. Walker, and he won friends and influence in the party just by trying. He is also seen as a separate, non-Trump center of power. After all the mistreatment he has suffered from Mr. Trump, to some extent the governor must have enjoyed being asked to save the former president’s handpicked man – even as the party has made it clear they don’t want Mr Trump anywhere near Peach State at this point. And if Kemp somehow pulls Walker to victory, reclaiming one of the two Georgia Senate seats Trump helped cost the party last year, it would be an ostrich feather on his hat. his already dense feathers – not to mention a stout thumb in Mr. Trump’s eyes.
Mr Kemp has clearly set his sights on the political path forward. National Republicans were impressed by the way he devastated his main Trump-staged challenger in the race for governor, ultimately defeated his main rival, former Senator David Perdue, by more than 50 points. After elementary school, Mr. McConnell organization Mr. Kemp ate a cozy breakfast in the Senate dining room. In early September, Mr. McConnell was a “special guest” at a Kemp raises funds in Washington touted 16 other Republican senators as “outstanding guests.”
Kemp’s work on behalf of Walker opened even more doors, helping him strengthen relationships with officials, agents and donors outside of Georgia. All of that would come in handy if, for example, Mr. Kemp decided he wanted to one day run for federal office.
And it certainly looks as if he could. Not long before Thanksgiving, he filed papers to form a federation super PAC. Named Hardworking American Inc., the organization will help him gain influence — plenty of political cash tends to enhance a person’s popularity — and possibly pave the way for him to join a federal campaign.
As that happens, Kemp’s second term ends in 2026, the same year that Jon Ossoff, Georgia’s other Democratic senator, ran for re-election. Rumor has it around the state that this would be the logical next step for the governor – and that’s certainly on his mind.
Of course, 2026 is four years away politically. But Mr Kemp has established himself as his own man, having won his terms in a party increasingly worried about the former president’s influence. To those who see Mr Trump as the GOP’s past, Mr Kemp may look as appealing as its future.
