Five takeaways from the Abrams-Kemp debate in Georgia

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and his Democratic rival Stacey Abrams faced off on Monday in their first debate since they competed for the governor’s mansion in 2018. 

The debate quickly became a policy-heavy affair, with the candidates hammering each other over everything from education to crime to election laws. What’s more, it unfolded on the first day of the state’s early voting period, offering Abrams and Kemp a key chance to make their cases to undecided voters before they cast their ballots.

Here are five takeaways from the Georgia gubernatorial debate.

Unlike in 2018, Kemp is heading into Election Day with a full term as governor under his belt. And on Monday, he sought to remind voters what that entails. 

He repeatedly touted his decision to lift pandemic restrictions against the advice of public health officials, arguing that it strengthened Georgia’s economy while other states faltered. He boasted that he used the state’s budget surplus to give teachers a $5,000 raise. And he stood by a sweeping election reform law he signed last year, claiming that voter turnout has increased, despite accusations of voter suppression.