Mr. Pence’s visit was the last major event for Mr. Kemp’s campaign before voters head to the polls on Tuesday. Mr. Kemp is one of a handful of officials who split from Mr. Trump after the 2020 election, disavowing his false claim that the election was stolen. A few high-profile detractors visited the state on Mr. Kemp’s behalf in the final weeks of the campaign, including Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor; Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona; and Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska.
Former Senator David Perdue, whom Mr. Trump recruited to challenge Mr. Kemp, has trailed Mr. Kemp by more than 30 points in recent polls. He lagged Mr. Kemp in fund-raising and did not build as much support among Republican state and national leaders.
Mr. Perdue ended his Trump-inspired campaign for governor of Georgia with a racist appeal to Republican primary voters on Monday, accusing Ms. Abrams of “demeaning her own race” in how she has described the state’s problems.
National politics animated the Kemp rally. Mr. Pence criticized President Biden’s administration over high gasoline prices and the baby formula shortage and he condemned a “tidal wave of left-wing policies” that have “stifled the American economy.” He also celebrated “what may well be a new era in American politics,” pointing to the five conservative Supreme Court justices who, according to a leaked draft opinion, may soon vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion across the United States.
Mr. Pence said Tuesday’s primaries would be “a strong vote of confirmation.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Mr. Pence said of Democratic policies. “Georgia has an opportunity to set the course for America back to freedom and opportunity for life.”