Brian Kemp did something Thursday critics say he should have done months ago; he resigned as Georgia’s secretary of state. Kemp stepped down from the office to focus on his transition to governor, despite the fact that the vote count in Georgia remains unofficial.
Kemp held a joint press conference with Gov. Nathan Deal Thursday at the State Capitol to announce his resignation.
Prior to the press conference, Deal tweeted out his congratulations to Kemp. On Wednesday he wrote, “My congratulations to Gov.-elect @BrianKempGA. He and his opponent both ran passionate campaigns with very different visions about how to keep Georgia on this path of prosperity, and I believe the voters of Georgia made the correct decision in electing Brian.
My congratulations to Gov.-elect @BrianKempGA. He and his opponent both ran passionate campaigns with very different visions about how to keep Georgia on this path of prosperity, and I believe the voters of Georgia made the correct decision in electing Brian.
— Governor Nathan Deal (@GovernorDeal) November 7, 2018
During Thursday’s press conference Kemp announced he would resign — effective at 11:59 a.m. Thursday — to prepare for the transition.
“I want to thank Gov. Deal for his decades of service,” Kemp said. “I look forward to working side by side with his administration to ensure a seamless transition.”
Deal said he will swear in an interim Secretary of State later today.
Despite the developments, Stacey Abrams’ campaign has not yet conceded and says there are more votes to be counted.
