Georgia’s governor-elect Brian Kemp on Tuesday rejected claims that he used his authority as secretary of state to defeat Democrat Stacey Abrams.
Abrams, who would have been the nation’s first black woman governor, said Monday night that Kemp used his position to ensure a win.
When asked on CNN if she thought she lost fair and square, she said, “No, I do not,” and said no one will ever know the fair result.
“We do know that for eight years, he systematically dismantled the machinery of democracy, he disenfranchised voters, he disinvested from counties, and he was grossly incompetent in the administration of his office,” Abrams said.
On Fox News Tuesday morning, Kemp said a record number of people voted, and said the state has laws in place to ensure proper voter registration.
“It’s unfair for her to blame especially local elections officials that are following the law when it comes to these things, for registration, how things are conducted on election day,” he said.
Kemp said it’s “not true” that Republicans reduced the number of polling places in some areas of the state. He said local officials determine that, and said one area of the state that had problems here is controlled by Democrats.
“So she’s blaming me for a problem that they created,” he said. “It’s just ridiculous, and people didn’t buy it in this election, which is why I got the most votes ever in the Georgia governor’s race.”
Kemp also argued that Democrats aren’t calling foul in any of the races they won.
“Nobody’s questioning the Democrats’ wins, knocking off one of our congresswomen in the state of Georgia,” he said. “They’re not questioning the local races that they won.”
“So this is really just political rhetoric,” Kemp added.
