ATLANTA — In a debate hosted by WSB-TV on Sunday, Republican incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams met on the same stage for the final time before Election Day.
In opening statements, both candidates for governor made emphasis on the state of the economy.
“We have the lowest unemployment rate in the history of our state,” Kemp said. “We have the most people ever working in the history of our state. We’re seeing economic opportunity in all parts of our state.”
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“In this Georgia right now people are feeling economic pain, and unfortunately under this governor, that pain is getting worse,” Abrams said.
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The candidates quickly tackled one of the biggest issues facing Georgians: inflation.
“Georgia has some of the lowest wages in the nation, and because of that, we need a governor who is going to use her power to focus on the costs that a governor can control,” Abrams said.
“Americans are hurting right now because of a disastrous policy agenda by Joe Biden and the Democrats that have complete control in Washington DC. Fortunately, in Georgia because we were open even when Ms. Abrams didn’t want us to be, our economy has been incredibly resilient,” Kemp said.
The debate featured a group of experienced panelists who asked questions on issues that matter to the people of Georgia. The panelists included Channel 2′s Richard Elliot, WSB-TV Community and Public Affairs Director Condace Pressley, and Univision 34 Atlanta’s Michelle Benitez.
The conversation eventually turned to abortion, with Elliot asking Kemp if he would sign a more restrictive abortion bill.
“I’m not going to say yes or no to any particular piece of legislation without seeing what it’s doing,” Kemp answered.
“Let’s be clear he did not say he wouldn’t,” Abrams responded.
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With crime rates on the rise, the candidates also addressed how to fight crime.
“I would encourage people to look at the Governor’s record,” Abrams stated. “During his four years, violent crime has gone up. Gun violence has gone up. Guns are the number one killer of our children.”
“I just want to let the folks at home know that it looks like this debate is going to be a lot like the last one,” Kemp rebutted. “Ms. Abrams is going to attack my record because she doesn’t want to talk about her own record. We are not the local police department. I’m not the mayor.”
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To qualify for this debate, candidates in the race for Georgia’s next governor must hit a 10% threshold from a broad cross section of respected Georgia political polls. This standard has been the benchmark for numerous political debates hosted by WSB-TV Channel 2.
“There are so many high-profile issues that impact our state and voters will soon decide which candidate will lead Georgia into the future,” Vice President and General Manager of WSB-TV Channel 2 Ray Carter said. “WSB-TV is committed to keeping Georgians informed and there is no better way to do it than putting these candidates face to face to go on the record about issues that could impact our state now and in the future.”
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