The campaign messages seek to decouple Georgia’s economy from that of the US, while Kemp seeks a new term as governor

MCDONOUGH, Ga. (`) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp targeted the “Biden recession” on Friday, blaming Democrat Stacey Abrams and becoming one of many Republicans trying to blame their rivals with the worries of the voters to burden economy.

How voters view the economy will be crucial in November’s statewide election.

Currently, Democratic President Joe Biden is at all-time lows in approval ratings and a second quarter of economic contraction is compounding policy problems caused by high inflation.

But while the argument against Democrats and business is easy for Republicans, including Georgia’s Herschel Walker, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, it’s harder for Kemp.

From the archive (January 2022): Republicans in Georgia remain in a turbulent state over the outcome of the 2020 election

Along with other Republican governors seeking reelection, such as Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Ohio’s Mike DeWine, Kemp must defend his economic record while attacking Biden. Kemp sometimes claims that Georgia’s economy is good and the national economy is bad, even though Georgia voters largely experience only one economy.

“Georgians know that our economy is struggling through the Biden-Abrams agenda, despite what’s going on nationally,” Kemp told reporters in McDonough, a suburb of Atlanta, arguing Abrams was to blame “runaway spending and disastrous politics” for standing up for Biden and even trying to become his vice president.

Abrams said Thursday that Kemp’s division between Georgia and the national economy was “mathematically and economically impossible” and that Kemp, who survived an alleged half-million dollars in attack advertising spending by a Donald Trump-affiliated PAC, “underperformed miserably.” have. To help people.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams addresses the media during a press conference at the Israel Baptist Church in May.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

“He’s done very well for those who are already doing well,” Abrams told reporters after a speech in Clayton, north Clayton. “But if you struggled in Georgia, Brian Kemp did absolutely nothing to help you move forward.”

The economy is also at the heart of the hard-fought Senate race in Georgia. Warnock is formulating many proposals to combat higher prices, including seeking a state gas tax suspension and price caps on insulin. Focused on boosting domestic oil production, Walker attacks Warnock as a stamp for Biden.

See: Trump allies, including Giuliani and Graham, could be forced to testify in the Georgia campaign. Here’s how.

And: Georgia’s 16 wrong voters could be prosecuted in election investigations

In reality, the economy is “a mess,” said Emory University finance professor Tom Smith. Georgia has record low unemployment and more people are working than ever before. Smith said the worst of inflation could be over. Gas prices in Georgia fell more than 50 cents a gallon in July, according to the AAA.

But Smith said the economy is shaky and a recession could last for months.

See: Weekend title: Are we in a recession?

At McDonough courthouse on Friday, some voters said they were weighing the arguments.

Times are good for Keith Sweat, who owns an art gallery and framing shop. He said his business has “skyrocketed” as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed people to focus on beautifying their homes, and hasn’t slowed down.

“People are cautious, but they haven’t stopped spending, and that’s unusual,” Sweat said. He said he was not affiliated with any party.

Karen Denegall, from Ellenwood, helped her sister move her cafe on Friday.

She writes off gas prices caused by the war in Ukraine but said she feels the pain of high food prices. “What can we do to make food less?” asked Denegall. As a medical worker, she said her own finances were in order but expected some Democrats to defect to Republicans.

Kemp said again on Friday his decision to quickly lift pandemic restrictions boosted prosperity. He promised further action in the coming months to help voters.

He has already won more than $1 billion in tax refunds and has suspended Georgia’s gas tax collection since March, giving up $150 million in monthly tax revenue.

Abrams has urged Kemp to suspend the gas tax by the end of the year and is seeking another round of income tax refunds using billions from state surpluses. She said Democrats, including Warnock, should recognize the “resources that have poured into the state” through COVID-19 aid, fattening its coffers and boosting the job market.

Abrams advocates a housing plan that she believes would improve affordability. She also argues that extending state Medicaid health insurance to all adults would reduce costs for Georgians.

In the Senate race, Walker argues that Warnock shares Biden’s blame for any economic ills. “Why didn’t my opponent vote that we can continue to have a prosperous economy?” Walker said at a recent campaign stop in north Georgia.

Warnock counters by highlighting his work in Washington, which aligns him with “working-class Georgians.”

“Look,” he said during a recent campaign in Atlanta, “I’m focused on lowering prices for ordinary people.”

While Warnock doesn’t openly embrace Biden, he’s touting America’s bailout plan. Biden’s massive pandemic-related spending bill passed without a Republican vote and included a tax cut for low-income workers.

“If you give a tax cut — and I believe in tax cuts — you should give a tax cut to those who actually need it,” Warnock said.

He has been pushing ahead with his work on the so-called CHIPS bill, which passed the Senate this week by a 17 Republican vote. The plan, pending in the House of Representatives, would boost microchip production in the United States, with Warnock emphasizing the benefits for Georgia companies.

See: Chipmaker stocks rally as the Senate votes on moving forward the US chip infrastructure bill

Warnock also highlights projects in Georgia in a comprehensive infrastructure plan, proposals to reduce insulin costs for diabetics and his call for state gas taxes to be suspended. Warnock unveiled the gas tax proposal in front of fellow Democrats, including Biden, in February. In another move that reveals a fault line between him and the White House, Warnock emphasizes that he is “urging” Biden to be more aggressive in forgiving student loan debt. The President said he expects to make a decision on such aid in August.

Denegall said she was listening but was undecided. “I have until November to see how things go,” she said.

MarketWatch contributed to this.

From the archive (April 2022): Perdue lashes out at Trump’s claim that he stole the election as he seeks to fill the Republican gubernatorial loophole in Georgia with incumbent Kemp

And (May 2022): Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp easily defeats Perdue in the GOP primary, facing Democrat Stacey Abrams