Brian Kemp
A Georgia Republican who navigated intense national scrutiny to become a pivotal figure in certifying the 2020 election and shaping his state's economic identity.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Governor of Georgia since 2019·Birthday: November 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brian Kemp's political journey is a distinctly Georgian story of building a brand around small business and hard-nosed conservatism. Before entering politics, he ran a family-owned agricultural business and several real estate ventures, grounding his perspective in the practical challenges of entrepreneurship. His tenure as Secretary of State, a role he held for eight years, was defined by a focus on voter ID laws and business registration, but it was his subsequent run for governor that thrust him into the national spotlight. Elected in a razor-thin race, Kemp almost immediately faced a global pandemic and a historic election cycle that placed Georgia at the center of American political turmoil. His certification of the state's 2020 presidential results, despite immense pressure, became a defining act. As governor, he has presided over record economic investment and job growth, championing tax cuts and a tough-on-crime stance, while also navigating a complex relationship with his own party's national establishment.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brian was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He was the first Republican elected governor of Georgia since Reconstruction who had not previously been a Democrat.
- As Secretary of State, he oversaw the implementation of Georgia's 'exact match' voter registration verification system.
- He signed a sweeping election law bill in 2021 that overhauled voting procedures in Georgia.
- Under his governorship, Georgia repeatedly broke records for annual economic investment projects.
- He survived a high-profile primary challenge in 2022 backed by former President Donald Trump.
Did You Know?
He ran a small business, Kemp Development & Construction, before his political career.
In a 2018 campaign ad, he pointed a gun at a young man acting as a suitor for his daughter.
He was a walk-on quarterback for the University of Georgia football team but never played in a game.
During the 2020 election certification, he received a personal phone call from President Trump urging him to intervene.
His official portrait as governor features a statue of the Georgia poet Sidney Lanier in the background.
“I can assure you, I’ve read the law and I’ve followed the law.”
