Kemp’s chairmanship is a considerable power position within the Republican Party after he helped President-elect Donald Trump win Georgia in the presidential election.

“I want to thank my fellow Governors for entrusting me to lead the Republican Governors Association, and I want to thank Governor Bill Lee for his incredible service as RGA Chair over the past year,” Kemp said. “Republican governors are making commonsense, conservative policies a reality, putting families and children first, and making our states the best places to run a business and raise a family. I look forward to working with my fellow Republican governors and President Trump to keep getting the job done for the American people and to add even more Republican governors to our ranks.”

Kemp succeeds Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) as chairman, stepping up from vice chairman. He will start his one-year term immediately, with Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) as vice chairman.

“I’m honored to serve as RGA Vice Chair and continue to work with my colleagues to elect strong, Republican governors across the nation,” Gianforte said. “Republican governors are cutting taxes, investing in infrastructure and our workforce, putting parents, students, and teachers first, and helping secure the border. But we have even more work to do. I look forward to working with Governor Kemp, my fellow Republican governors, and President Trump to build a safer, more prosperous future for all Americans.”

The Georgia governor will be responsible for flipping Democratic seats and maintaining a Republican 27-to-23 majority in governorships across the country. The GOP gained no additional seats in the 2024 elections.

Two major gubernatorial elections are set to take place in Kemp’s first term: New Jersey and Virginia. Both will be highly competitive, with Virginia set to be the purer toss-up of the two.

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Three dozen states, including Georgia, will elect governors in 2026.

If Kemp is reelected as RGA chairman, he will help deal with a chaotic midterm to help decide the power balance at the governor level. After that, he will be term-limited as governor and will need to make a decision on his future, possibly challenging for Georgia’s Senate seat.