Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp has served as the 83rd Governor of Georgia since January 2019, and before that as Georgia's Secretary of State from 2010 to 2019. Born November 2, 1963, in Athens, Georgia, Kemp graduated from the University of Georgia in 1986 and built a career in real estate, construction, and agriculture before entering state politics. His 2018 gubernatorial victory over Stacey Abrams and his 2022 re-election victory — in which he outperformed Donald Trump on the same ticket — established him as one of the most electorally durable Republican governors of his generation and a figure of national significance in the Republican Party.

Kemp signed Georgia's anti-BDS legislation, requiring state contractors to certify that they are not engaging in boycotts of Israel, and has made Georgia's relationship with Israel a consistent priority of his foreign economic policy. Georgia is home to a significant and growing Jewish community, and Atlanta has developed bilateral economic and technology ties with Israel. Kemp's administration has promoted Georgia as a pro-Israel destination for Israeli business investment, and his office has maintained active relationships with Israeli consular officials. He issued a formal proclamation following October 7 condemning Hamas and affirming Georgia's support for Israel's right to self-defense.

Kemp's pro-Israel positioning reflects both constituency politics — Georgia's Republican base includes significant evangelical Christian pro-Israel sentiment — and genuine conviction. His willingness to stand his ground against both left and right pressure in multiple high-profile political confrontations has demonstrated the kind of political resilience that makes his pro-Israel commitment credible rather than performative. At Rank 51, Kemp represents the growing cohort of Republican governors who treat the Israel relationship as a standing element of state governance rather than a periodic declaration.