Vice President Mike Pence reminded audiences that “this ain’t Hollywood” during a rally for Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp in Dalton, Georgia, on Thursday — the same day that Oprah Winfrey campaigned for Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams.
“I heard Oprah is in town today. I heard Will Ferrell was going door-to-door the other day. I’d like to remind Stacey and Oprah and Will Ferrell, I’m kind of a big deal, too,” Pence said, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And I got a message for all of Stacey Abrams’s liberal Hollywood friends: This ain’t Hollywood. This is Georgia. And Georgia wants a governor that’s going to put Georgia values and Georgia first. And Brian Kemp is going to do just that.”
Georgia gubernatorial candidates (L-R) Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp shake hands before a debate that also included Libertarian Ted Metz at Georgia Public Broadcasting in Midtown October 23, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. John Bazemore-Pool/Getty Images
Abrams announced Winfrey would campaign for her at two town hall events in the Georgia towns of Marietta and Decatur on Thursday, Abrams wrote on Twitter.
BIG NEWS: @Oprah is on #TeamAbrams—and she’s coming to Georgia on Thursday, 11/1, to help us Get Out The Vote!
We will host two town halls in Marietta & Decatur TOMORROW. Tickets are free but will go fast. Don’t miss out! ➔ https://t.co/0FR0PHEI8L #GAGov #gapol
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) October 31, 2018
The big-name appearances come after a Tuesday FOX 5 poll showed Abrams and Kemp in a “statistical dead heat,” with Abrams at 48.1 percent and Kemp at 47.2 percent with a 3.9 percent margin of error. The poll was conducted Sunday and Monday and interviewed 623 Georgia voters. (RELATED: Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams Thinks She Has Secret Weapon In Tied Governor’s Race: Oprah)
Pence also criticized Abrams for comments she made Oct. 16 about Georgia’s agricultural sector.
“I want to create a lot of different jobs because people shouldn’t have to go into agriculture or hospitality to make a living in Georgia. Why not create renewable energy jobs because — I’m going to tell ya’ll a secret — climate change is real,” Abrams said Tuesday at a campaign rally.
“Brian Kemp’s going to fight for Georgia’s farmers, ranchers and producers,” Pence said in Dalton Thursday. “His opponent, I’m told, actually said …. people shouldn’t have to go into agriculture to make a living in Georgia.”
The remark was met with boos from the rallygoers.
Winfrey joined other celebs who have supported Abrams, including rapper Common and actor Will Ferrell.
If you think you are too busy to volunteer for campaigns, Will Ferrell canvassed for Stacey Abrams this weekend. Some people have second jobs or bad health and can’t, but the rest of us have no excuse. pic.twitter.com/Uk3yNCeJhy
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) October 28, 2018
Abrams could become the first black American female governor in the U.S. if she beats Kemp, who is Georgia’s secretary of state.
Even more public figures will stop by Georgia ahead of Abrams’s and Kemp’s tight race. (RELATED: Georgia Dem Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams Helped Burn State Flag In Protest)
President Donald Trump will host a rally with Kemp in Macon on Sunday, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Former President Barack Obama will appear at a get-out-the-vote rally in Atlanta on Friday, reported The Hill.
RealClear Politics shows Kemp ahead by the statistically insignificant amount of 1.4 points in its poll average. More than 1.5 million Georgians have already voted, reported The Associated Press on Thursday.
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