Stacey Abrams opened up a new line of attack against Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday with a statewide ad that criticizes the Republican for accepting more than $50,000 from a Georgia-based company that made the rifle used in the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
The Democrat’s radio spot criticizes Kemp for his ties to Daniel Defense, which has donated to both of his campaigns for governor, as well as his support for a new law that rolls back a requirement that Georgians obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
“Georgia lives are on the line,” says the narrator, who is identified as a former deputy sheriff. “If we want to keep our kids and families safe, the only thing we can do is vote Brian Kemp out of office.”
The governor, who won the National Rifle Association’s endorsement, has said Georgians shouldn’t “have a piece of paper from the government to be able to legally carry a weapon.”
Records show the gunmaker’s chief executive, Marty Daniel, donated at least $50,200 to Kemp during his 2018 and 2022 campaigns. That includes a $25,000 contribution in March to a newly created leadership committee that can accepted unlimited donations.
Kemp has faced growing criticism over the donations from Democratic officials and gun control advocates who berate him for ties to the manufacturer. His allies say the assault-style rifles like the one used in Uvalde to kill 19 students and two teachers are not to blame for the violence.
“The solution to keeping students safe is to harden our schools—not punish law-abiding Americans,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde of Athens. “Unfortunately, Democrats are far more interested in the latter.”
Read the transcript:
“My name is Dennis, and as a former deputy sheriff, I’ve responded to every kind of gun crime you can think of. Crime’s on the rise here in Georgia. But Brian Kemp pandered just to win an election.
His new gun law makes it easier for criminals to carry loaded weapons in public. At the movies, in church. No permit. No background check. Why would you want to make it easier for domestic abusers and violent criminals to carry loaded guns?
Mr. Kemp, I call that criminal carry. And here’s the truth: more Georgians will die because of it. That’s why current and former law enforcement like me are speaking out.
Kemp passed this bill after taking $50,000 from the maker of the AR-15 that killed 19 children in Texas.
Georgia lives are on the line. If we want to keep our kids and families safe, the only thing we can do is vote Brian Kemp out of office.”
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