Brian Kemp

Every day, hardworking Americans across the country and right here in Georgia are facing the consequences of failed Democratic leadership in Washington, D.C.

When you go to buy groceries, skyrocketing prices due to 40-year-high inflation are making it harder to afford basic, household necessities. Eggs are up 31%. Milk is up 15%. Baby food is up 12%.

When you pull into the gas pump, increased prices thanks to a disastrous domestic energy policy are turning daily commutes into a strain on your wallet.

Meanwhile, President Biden and leaders in his party just raised taxes on the middle class in America – when they promised two years ago they would not. Everything is more expensive, families are struggling to make ends meet and the Democrats could not care less.

Thankfully, in Georgia, we have been able to take action to help the citizens of our state weather the storm. Because we led the country in reopening our economy, Georgia has seen record revenues the last two years, and under my administration, we are putting excess state dollars where they belong: back in your pocket.

Working with leaders in the General Assembly this year, we returned more than $1 billion in surplus funds to Georgia taxpayers through a tax refund that equaled $250 for single filers and $500 for those filing jointly.

We have suspended the state’s gas tax since March, saving Georgians 28 to 30 cents on average every time they fill up, while the nation faces rising fuel costs.

And we are implementing the largest state income tax cut in Georgia’s history, because Republican leadership in our state stood up to cut Georgians’ tax burdens while Joe Biden and the Democrats broke their promise and added to them.

If I have the honor to serve a second term, we plan to do even more to help families in our state face the national economic crisis by refunding another $1 billion to taxpayers and enacting a one-time property tax rebate that will save Georgians between 15 and 25% on their tax bill.

We are making huge strides to generate real relief for families in every community in our state but let’s be clear: none of this would be possible if Stacey Abrams had been governor these last few years.

While Georgia’s economy came back online, Stacey Abrams campaigned for longer lockdowns, threatening generational losses for small business owners across the state.

When we led the nation in getting our kids safely back in the classroom so parents could return to work, Stacey Abrams sided with the national teachers unions and far-left special interests and demanded Georgia’s students continue to learn from a screen.

Time and time again, Stacey Abrams has sided with the billionaire donors in New York and California who are funding her campaign over the best interests of hardworking Georgians.

Ms. Abrams supports Joe Biden blindly. She openly campaigned to be his vice president and she has consistently celebrated his failed policies that have wreaked havoc on our nation’s economy.

If elected Georgia’s governor, she only offers our state more of the same failed policies we are seeing now in Washington: big spending, higher taxes and anti-business policies that would bring our state’s record as the Top State for Business for nine years in a row to a screeching halt. That’s why this race is so critical.

We are in a fight for the soul of our state yet again, and if I am fortunate enough to earn reelection as your governor, my family and I will keep fighting tirelessly to put you, your family and your wallet first. That’s a promise you can trust me to keep and I’d be honored to have your vote.

Brian Kemp is Georgia’s governor, a Republican, seeking reelection. The Tifton Gazette published a column last month from Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams.