Georgia’s Republican Attorney General Chris Carr is planning on running for governor in 2026 to succeed GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported Monday.
Kemp, who comfortably secured reelection last year, will be term limited in 2026 and has recently stoked rumors that he might challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff once he leaves office. Carr, a close ally of the governor, has told many Republicans in Georgia he will seek higher office, and is already laying the groundwork for a 2026 bid, according to the AJC.
“Right now, Attorney General Carr’s sole focus is on beating Joe Biden in Georgia and keeping the Republican majorities in the General Assembly,” top Carr adviser Heath Garrett told the AJC, not disputing the attorney general’s 2026 aspirations.
The 2026 Republican primary could be highly competitive, with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, an ally of former President Donald Trump, also weighing a bid, according to the AJC. Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler could also enter the GOP primary field. (RELATED: ‘Formidable As Hell’: Will Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Run For Senate In 2026?)
Attorney General Chris Carr has told a growing number of Republican activists and elected officials that he will run for governor in 2026 to succeed incumbent Brian Kemp, a close political ally who can’t run for a third term. #gapol https://t.co/IgvWhbMtQD
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) July 31, 2023
Carr was first appointed as attorney general in 2016 by then-Republican Gov. Nathan Deal after serving as commissioner of the Department of Economic Development since 2013, according to Ballotpedia. The attorney general won the seat in 2018 by 2.6 points and secured reelection by 5.3 points in 2022, where he beat the Trump-endorsed John Gordon in the primary.
Stacey Abrams, the twice-beaten Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has not ruled out a third bid, and Rep. Lucy McBath, former state Sen. Jen Jordan and Jason Carter could also vie for the party’s nomination in 2026, according to the AJC.
Kemp, who most recently beat Abrams by nearly 8 points in 2022, recently met with top Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill, spurring rumors that he’s eyeing Ossoff’s seat once his second term is up. The possible run comes after several difficult Senate races for Georgia’s GOP, with two incumbent Republicans being simultaneously ousted in 2020.
Carr did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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