Kemp, Perdue clash in heated Georgia GOP debate

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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., squared off in a rancorous debate Sunday night as Perdue mounts a primary challenge against Kemp.

The debate touched on a number of topics, but Perdue early and often repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, claiming that Kemp did not do enough to keep it secure. Kemp, meanwhile, accused Perdue of making excuses for his own failure.

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"You have a candidate that is going to attack my record, unfortunately, all night tonight, because they didn’t have a record there to beat Jon Ossoff in 2020," Kemp said.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mason Mega Rail Station on Nov. 12, 2021 in Garden City, Georgia. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Perdue, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, accused Kemp of "suppressing information and not following up on leads," but Kemp stated that attorneys "invested hundreds of hours" looking into claims and that his office has referred matters for investigation where appropriate. He also noted that it is the state attorney general, not the governor, who decides whether to prosecute.

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Former Sen. David Perdue, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, speaks at a campaign event on Feb. 1, 2022, in Dalton, Georgia. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

The governor touted his record, which includes eight years as Georgia secretary of state. He recalled taking on the Justice Department during the Obama administration in a battle over citizenship checks for voter registration, as well as court battles over the state's voter ID law.

Perdue accused Kemp of making excuses for not doing more to secure the 2020 elections.

"Weak leaders take credit when things go well, and I tell you they blame somebody else when it doesn’t," he said.

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Kemp then accused Perdue of blaming others for losing his Senate seat.

"Weak leaders blame everybody else for their own loss instead of themselves."