Given his record and his ability to triangulate MAGA, the real question is why Kemp isn’t being talked up as a possible 2024 presidential contender. Pulling off back-to-back wins in a purple-trending state should, theoretically, shoot him to the top of the list.

Maybe it’s too soon. To really amp up the speculation, Kemp will have to win the general election, of course. And Trump isn’t necessarily out of options.

If Trump is genuinely committed to defeating Kemp, Trump could support Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, which is actually a position he has toyed with in the past. At a Georgia rally last September, Trump said, “Stacey, would you like to take his place? It’s okay with me. . . . Having her, I think, might be better than having your existing governor, if you want to know the truth, might very well be better.”

He could test that theory. It would be a suicidal gamble for any Republican who wants to keep Georgia red. That said, Trump does have a well-established losing record. First the House, then the Senate, then his re-election campaign. The 2022 midterms will be another test. For now, the important thing to note is that the scoreboard will soon read Kemp 2–Trump 0.