ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will not be attending the state Republican Party convention this year. Cody Hall, a senior advisor to the governor, told 11Alive Monday that Kemp would not be at the 2023 event.
According to its website, the Georgia GOP 2023 State Convention will be held in June in Columbus.
“The Governor is going to remain focused on making sure we replicate our successes last November and win at the ballot box in 2024 and 2026," Hall said.
The message resembles what Kemp recently said on a national platform about the Republican Party.
Earlier in the month, Kemp made an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, where he advised the Republican Party to "focus on the future."
"I was just laying out the blue print, for any candidate to be able to win, is to talk about what we're for. Focus on the future not look in the review mirror," Gov. Kemp said.
The governor holds significant sway over the direction of the Republican Party in the state, after brushing aside a Trump-backed primary challenge last year and then defeating Stacey Abrams for a second time.
Kemp also holds a somewhat unique place in the national party hierarchy heading into 2024 - a potentially influential figure who won reelection over a Democratic star in a hotly contested state, even as the last few Georgia statewide races for president and U.S. Senate have resulted in Democratic victories.
Beyond that, Kemp's priorities and governing style - on issues like abortion, education and the economy - have closely tracked with the preferences of the GOP's conservative base.
That base, however, overwhelmingly backs Trump - a figure still sharply at odds with Kemp over the governor's perceived failure by the former president to do more in 2020 to support his efforts to overturn Georgia's election result.
Last year, Trump threw his weight into a primary challenge against Kemp by former Sen. David Perdue, which ultimately did not seriously threaten the governor in his reelection bid.
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at WhereAtlantaSpeaks@11Alive.com.