Kemp campaign responds after team Abrams claimed he ‘disqualified himself’ from receiving second term

The campaign for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is pushing back against a statement made by Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams’ campaign that claimed he has “disqualified himself” from receiving a second term as governor.

“Brian Kemp is a failed governor who has disqualified himself from a second term,” Abrams for Governor campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo said Wednesday in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

“Kemp disqualified himself when he pushed a criminal carry bill that will put more guns on our streets and make us less safe,” she added. “He disqualified himself when he supported a total ban on abortion with a penalty of 10 years in prison. He disqualified himself when he stopped food assistance from struggling Georgians but padded his own pockets. Years from now, Kemp will be remembered as a one-term governor who pointed a gun at a boy on television.”

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In response to the Abrams campaign’s remarks, Tate Mitchell, press secretary for the Kemp for Governor campaign, told Fox News Digital that Georgians would suffer immensely under an Abrams administration in Georgia.

“Under Governor Kemp’s leadership, unemployment is at historic lows, more Georgians are working than ever before and Georgia announced the two largest economic development projects in state history in just over six months,” Mitchell said. “With Abrams in charge, the disastrous Biden agenda of 40-year high inflation, open borders, record gas prices and soft-on-crime policies would be the law of the land in the Peach State.

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“While Stacey spends her time in ballrooms with left-wing activists calling Georgia the ‘worst state to live,’ Governor Kemp will continue fighting to keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family,” he added.

The comments from both Georgia gubernatorial campaigns came one day after Georgia voters, both Democrat and Republican, took to the polls to vote for their favored candidates in primary elections. With the stage set after the two received nominations from their party, the two candidates will face off later this year in what is bound to be eerily reminiscent of their 2018 battle for governor of the state in which Abrams narrowly lost to Kemp.

Earlier this week, Abrams made headlines after she claimed Georgia is the “worst state in the country to live,” a comment she later attempted to clarify.

Abrams said during a speech Saturday at the Gwinnett Democrats’ Bluetopia Gala that she was “tired of hearing about how we’re the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live,” according to audio posted by the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Abrams, who did not face opposition in Tuesday’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, acknowledged her statement would be “politicized” and further explained that her state has lots of room for improvement on issues like mental health and incarceration.

Kemp took aim at Abrams over her comments earlier this week and told Fox News it’s “disappointing” that she holds that view.

“I get up every morning, and I’m just so thankful I’m the governor of this state and serving these resilient people and that we live in the greatest state in the country to live, work and raise our families,” Kemp said. “It’s disappointing she [Abrams] doesn’t think that, but I love it.”

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this article.