Kemp boasts nearly 60 percent support ahead of GOP gubernatorial primary: poll

An overwhelming majority of respondents in a new poll — close to 60 percent — say they would back Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) should the Republican primary be held today.

Polling released by boutique consulting firm ARW Strategies showed that Kemp received 59.4 percent of support among respondents in comparison to Republican gubernatorial challenger, former Sen. David Perdue’s (R-Ga.) 21.5 percent.

The polling also found that Senate candidate Herschel Walker (R-Ga.) would receive 58.5 percent of the vote should the Republican primary be held today. The next highest percentage received by a Republican candidate is Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black at 9.7 percent.

The development comes just weeks ahead of the gubernatorial May 24 primary as recent polling continues to show Kemp outpacing Perdue. A InsiderAdvantage-FOX 5 Atlanta poll published on Monday shows Kemp receiving 54 percent support compared to Perdue’s 38 percent.

Kemp’s campaign confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday that former Vice President Mike Pence’s former chief of staff, Marc Short, had joined the governor’s campaign as a senior adviser, illustrating how seriously Republicans are taking the Peach State’s governor’s race.

Kemp has previously drawn former President Trump’s ire for refusing efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Pence has also broken with Trump over the former president’s assertions that the former vice president had the authority to overturn the election.

The ARW Strategies poll was conducted between April 30 and May 1 with 600 respondents surveyed. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.