ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says he will not call a special legislative session to redraw political maps or restrict the powers of incoming Democratic Gov. Keisha Lance Bottoms before she takes office in January.
“The voters of our state have spoken,” Kemp said Wednesday, adding that Georgia should respect the results of “secure, accessible, and fair elections” and abide by state law and the constitution.
His decision closes off a potential postelection showdown after Bottoms’ victory ended 24 years of Republican control of the governor’s mansion. Some Republicans had discussed using a special session to revisit redistricting or reduce executive authority before the transfer of power.
Kemp explicitly rejected both ideas.
“I will not be calling a special session of the Georgia General Assembly in order to curtail executive branch powers or debate redistricting changes,” he said.
The decision echoes Kemp’s refusal in 2020 to call a special session aimed at helping Donald Trump overturn his presidential election loss in Georgia.
Kemp did leave open one narrow possibility: lawmakers could still be called back before January if unresolved budget issues require action.
Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, will become the first Black woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state when she takes office.
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