ATLANTA (AP) \u2014 Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is done being underestimated.
\nHaving vanquished both a Donald Trump-backed Republican challenger and Democratic star Stacey Abrams to win reelection, Kemp is looking to expand his influence in his second term, free from the caricature of the gun-toting, pickup-driving, migrant-catching country boy that emerged during his first campaign for governor.
\nA\u00a0new vision of Kemp\u00a0steering his party toward a non-Trumpian conservatism made its debut in his November victory speech after it became clear that he had defeated Abrams by a much larger margin in their rematch than he had in their tight 2018 matchup.
\n\u201cThis election proves that when Republicans stay focused on real-world solutions that put hardworking people first we can win now, but also in the future, y\u2019all,\u201d Kemp said.
\nKemp pledged that night to \u201cstay in the fight\u201d and followed with concrete steps: He kept his political operation running and lent it to the unsuccessful Senate runoff campaign of Herschel Walker, while forming a federal political action committee that lets the governor influence races for Congress and president. He hasn\u2019t ruled out running for the U.S. Senate in 2026 or even seeking the White House.
\nBeyond his own advancement, Kemp\u2019s victory could provide a blueprint for Republicans in competitive states after voters\u00a0rejected many of the Trump-molded candidates\u00a0in 2022. It\u2019s a less showy approach, aimed at luring independents and moderates while still achieving conservative policy goals.
\n\u201cIf Republicans looking forward are focused on winning, I think a lot of folks will be calling Gov. Kemp and wanting his advice, but also trying to replicate the things he did here,\u201d said Cody Hall, Kemp\u2019s political adviser.
\nKemp, now 59, was a real estate developer and state senator before Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed him secretary of state in 2010. Eight years later, Kemp was on his way to defeating an establishment candidate for the GOP nomination for governor when Trump\u2019s endorsement supercharged his campaign, which focused on gun rights and opposition to illegal immigration.
\nAfter Kemp defeated Abrams in the 2018 general election by just 1.4 percentage points, she\u00a0accused him of using the secretary of state\u2019s office\u00a0to improperly purge likely Democratic voters. A federal court later rejected legal claims questioning Kemp\u2019s actions.
\nIn his first term, Kemp logged some big conservative achievements, including\u00a0signing stringent abortion limits\u00a0in 2019. He also made a diverse slate of appointments and kept his promise of $5,000 raises for public school teachers, moves aimed at solidifying his appeal to the middle in an anticipated Abrams rematch.<\/p>\n