Georgia Battle Between Kemp and Abrams Focuses on Taxpayers’ Wallets

Republicans and Democrats in Georgia have something in common: Both sides claim they want to put more money in taxpayer pockets.Dollar bills are green, and not red or blue.The incumbent Republican, Governor Kemp — who has yet to get the endorsement of President Trump, though the former chief executive hasn’t ruled it out — is expected to unveil a $1 billion tax rebate thanks to Georgia’s reported $7 billion surplus. There could also be a homeowner rebate in Mr. Kemp’s plans.Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams, who ran against Mr. Kemp in 2018, also has a billion-dollar plan, one purportedly focused on Medicaid, teachers, law enforcement officers, and prison guards.“What I’m saying is let’s put Georgians to work. Let’s invest in Georgians,” Ms. Abrams told the Associated Press. “Let’s use the resources that are in our state to do what’s right for the people of the state.”Ms. Abrams and Mr. Kemp certainly seem to think Georgians will vote with their wallets — both of their refund plans are “almost identical,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.The paper posits that Mr. Kemp is betting on his strength as an incumbent in the move, particularly as a means to counter Ms. Abrams’ fundraising. While Ms. Abrams has outraised Mr. Kemp, the Democrat still trails in the polls: FiveThirtyEight has Mr. Kemp ahead by five points, at 49.1 percent to Ms. Abrams’ 44.1 percent. Ms. Abrams has remained focused on economic issues, despite them being a top vulnerability for Democrats across the United States — particularly with regards to gas prices.Despite the nation’s economic troubles, Georgia’s coffers overflow. The Associated Press reports that it closed its budget year in June with a roughly $5 billion surplus. And that’s on top of $2.3 billion in surplus from the year before, as well as a legally protected $4.3 billion rainy-day fund.Mr. Kemp has sounded the alarm that more spending will make inflation worse. He’s also argued that Abrams will try to raise taxes after she’s done spending the surplus.“What she really believes is more government, controlling more and more of your everyday lives, and taking more of your hard-earned paychecks,” Mr. Kemp said, according to the Associated Press.Ms. Abrams has said she won’t raise taxes.

Georgia Battle Between Kemp and Abrams Focuses on Taxpayers’ Wallets

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