GOP gubernatorial candidates give final push ahead of Tuesday's runoff

ATLANTA — Vice President Mike Pence came to Georgia Saturday to show his support for gubernatorial candidate for governor, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp.

Pence called Kemp the best partner for the White House in an hour-long event

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to endorse Kemp, tweeting that Kemp "is tough on crime, strong on the border and illegal immigration."

Pence and other speakers who rallied the crowd of more than 500 at the Macon Coliseum called Kemp the only candidate who can keep Georgia’s top office in GOP hands and defeat Democrat Stacey Abrams in November.

“Brian Kemp stands for Georgia values,” said Pence. “I believe that not only is he going to win come Tuesday, but he’s going to win in November.”

Before the vice president took the stage, Kemp stepped up to the podium to thank his supporters.

“I am tired of politically correct liberals like Stacey Abrams who are offended by our faith, our guns and our big trucks,” said Kemp. “This election is about trust. Who do you trust to do the right thing even when no one is looking?”

The latest exclusive poll from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Channel 2 Action News had Kemp and rival candidate, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, in statistical dead heat with each other ahead of Tuesday's runoff election to see who will take the GOP nomination for Georgia's next governor.

At campaign stops around the state, Cagle has sharpened his attacks on Kemp, saying definitively that he would lose to Abrams if he wins the GOP nomination.

Cagle and his supporters were out in full-force Saturday, going door to door to get out the vote.

Cagle tweeted pictures from a visit in Cleveland, Georgia where he met with voters. He also tweeted pictures of supporters in Roswell.

Cagle's supporters were also out campaigning across Macon and middle Georgia to counter the vice president's stop for his opponent.

Before leaving the Kemp event Saturday, Pence urged Middle Georgia voters to show up in force in Tuesday’s vote to support Kemp because he would deliver to Georgia “the same type of leadership that Trump brought to the White House.”

“Brian Kemp is the real deal,” said Pence. “He puts his family first. And when Brian Kemp is governor, he’ll always put Georgia families first.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this article.

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