The Georgia Chamber of Commerce on Monday formally endorsed Republican Governor Brian Kemp’s 2022 reelection campaign.
This, despite certain other members of the GOP previously saying that the Chamber frequently works against conservatives’ best interests.
Members of the Chamber, in a press release, said they believe Kemp “will continue to make effective policy decisions that positively impact free enterprise and job creation across the state.”
“Throughout his first term in office, Governor Kemp has made economic growth a priority in Georgia,” said Ben Tarbutton, president of Sandersville Railroad Company and the 2022 Board Chairman of the Georgia Chamber, in the press release.
“Despite the challenges facing our state during the pandemic, Governor Kemp has led us in being designated the number one state in which to do business for the eighth consecutive year as we boast record low unemployment levels — a feat that no other state can tout. We applaud the governor, and proudly stand with him as he seeks another term in office.”
A former state representative said in March that the Georgia Chamber of Commerce influences the agenda of House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), even though that agenda favors large corporate entities and sometimes frustrates average Georgians’ best interests.
Former State Representative Jeff Jones said at the time that “the Georgia Chamber of Commerce is not the friend of the average Georgia citizen.”
“Here lies one of the fundamental problems with the Georgia House side is [that] so many members are more interested in being on the inside [and] being under the good graces of Speaker Ralston, getting their committee chairmanships, and being included on the inside of the power structure, more so than they are interested in doing the right thing by the people in their districts here in Georgia,” Jones said.
Georgia State Rep. Charlice Byrd (R-Woodstock) said in February that she suspected members of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber worked behind the scenes to kill Byrd’s Voter ID legislation.
Byrd said at the time that she believed Georgia Chamber members disliked her Voter ID legislation because it would try to stop non-citizens from voting.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Brian Kemp” by Governor Brian Kemp. Background Photo “Georgia State Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.
