Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp became the Republican nominee for the state governorship on Tuesday, defeating Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in a run-off election on Tuesday.
Around 8:40 p.m. the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV and other outlets analyzing the race had all called it for Kemp. The AJC reported that both camps confirmed the outcome about 90 minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m.
Kemp now will face Stacey Abrams, who won the Democratic primary in May. Abrams, the former party leader for Democrats in the state General Assembly, would become the first African-American woman elected governor in the nation’s history.
“Tonight, I have an opponent: Kemp,” Abrams wrote on Twitter. “The race for #GAGov may change, but our values never will. Service, faith & family guide our vision for GA: Affordable health care. Excellent public schools for every child. An economy that works for all.”
