Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp rejects special session to undercut incoming Bottoms

Outgoing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) rejected a special session aimed at undercutting incoming Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms (D).

“I will not be calling a special session of the Georgia General Assembly in order to curtail executive branch powers or debate redistricting changes,” Kemp wrote in a statement, according to CBS News . “The voters of our state have spoken.”

“As long as I’m governor, we will always respect the results of secure, accessible, and fair elections, and also abide by the laws and constitution of our state,” he continued. But he notably left open the possibility that state lawmakers would need to address Georgia’s finances before January.

This comes after Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson to flip Georgia’s governor’s mansion early into election night. This is the first time a Democrat won the Peach State’s gubernatorial race since 1998, according to the National Governors Association .

Kemp previously scheduled a redistricting session in the state Legislature in June following the Supreme Court gutting a key section of the Voting Rights Act. He urged lawmakers to reconvene to “consider enacting, revising, repealing, or amending general law for the division of the State into appropriate districts” before 2028.

Kemp argued that the high court’s ruling “requires” Georgia to adopt new maps, but it was already too late to redraw for May’s primaries.

It was tabled by Republicans , with Georgia state House Speaker Jon Burns (R) saying that “it was not the right path forward for our state at the time.”

“Changes to our district maps have the potential to impact every voter in Georgia, and they deserve the same thoughtful, fact-driven process that has always guided the House,” Burns said, sharing plans for meetings to hear from voters on the issue.

Though Kemp publicly disagreed with the decision, he stated that redistricting efforts were ultimately the Georgia Legislature’s responsibility.