JASPER, Ga. – As part of his 27-day bus tour, Georgia Governor candidate Brian Kemp stopped at the Appalachian Gun, Pawn, and Range to visit locals and connect with Georgians during his campaign.

Moving through the large crowd, Brian Kemp took time to stop for photos with supporters at his Monday rally in Pickens.

Kemp stated about the tour, “We’ve been having to really work hard on our fundraising to offset the billionaires in California and New York that are funding my opponent’s campaign. We’ve done that. Now, we’re hitting the road and we’re going to keep moving …”

Stopping into his Pickens location a little after 10 a.m., Kemp was joined by U.S. Congressman Doug Collins, State Senator Steve Gooch, and State Representative Rick Jasperse, who all spoke on his behalf at the stump speech. Additionally, State Senator Chuck Payne was also present.

Even local Pickens County Commission Chairman Rob Jones attended the event as he said yes he is officially supporting Kemp saying, “He knows where we are at, he knows who we are, and he knows what kind of support we’ve got here.”

Gooch welcomed citizens to the event and called for support for electing Republicans across the state offices, spearheaded with Brian Kemp’s campaign for Governor saying, “We all have to get our families, our friends, and our selves to the polls and elect these good conservatives that are running.”

Some citizens could be seen in special shirts made at Appalachian Gun, Pawn, and Range in honor of Brian Kemp’s visit.

Jasperse added to the call to get more people to the polls saying that the next four weeks needed hard work to get those not present at the rally to vote as well. “We’ve got to have all of us joining hands to elect our next governor… to make sure that we elect a great Georgian who is going to reflect our values.”

Collins also spoke at the event. Building up the crowd, he called the legislation in Washington D.C. a fight in need of help from the country saying, “It’s got to start at home… I don’t want to know what you would have done on November 7. I don’t want to know who you would have called on November 7. I want to start today and say how many of you are willing to text people today, on October 1, and say, ‘Voting is coming up, I need you to go vote for Brian Kemp.'”

Kemp called Georgia politics a fight as well since he is running against a radical. Quoting his campaign slogan to “Put Georgians First,” Kemp spoke about cutting regulations and aiding the small businesses like his hosts, Appalachian Gun, Pawn, and Range. He said he wanted to lower Georgia’s taxes as opposed to his opponent’s plan “to raise your taxes even though she hasn’t paid her own.”

Kemp speaks in Pickens County as part of a 27-day tour across Georgia raising support for his campaign.

Saying it is not Georgia’s values that she holds, he said he wants to continue the work that the senators and representatives that were at the rally with him have started.

Kemp attacked Abrams’ plans for big government in education saying, “She believes in more government education, more mandates, more big government programs that don’t work. She wants to do away with SSO Scholarships, she wants to do away with private pre-K providers, and she wants to give the Hope Scholarship to non-citizens. That is not what we want.”

Kemp instead advocated for local control, school choice, and better education funding as he noted that for the first time ever, the QBE program has been funded.

Kemp also attacked the healthcare programs saying that she ultimately wants a single-payer government run healthcare system and a three-fold increase in taxes to pay for it. Kemp opposed the program saying, “We need private sector solutions to create a better market, to lower costs on healthcare.”

Dianne Traynham, left, and Brandi Dean, right, await Kemp’s arrival at the Appalachian Gun, Pawn, and Range in Pickens County.

Calling on those present to help the campaign and urge others to vote, Kemp said, “The stakes have never been higher. We are literally battling the socialists and the radical left from all over this country. They are pouring money into this race. But they can’t vote, and you can.”

He colloquially told people to “put some more gas in that chainsaw. Get your ax and your mattock out, and keep chopping wood.”

He said the race isn’t a foregone conclusion, calling the other side motivated. Kemp urged his voters and supporters to be more motivated saying, “If you turned out here for the presidential election to elect Donald Trump, we need you to turn out here to elect Brian Kemp.”

The event turned out over 400 people to hear Kemp speak and support the campaign. One citizen, Dianne Traynham, said she was there because she was interested in what Kemp has said and his support for rural Georgia. She added that her daughter is a teacher and Kemp’s pledge to take care of the state’s teachers was a major reason for her support.

Kemp receives a Smith & Wesson Governor from the owners of Appalachian Gun, Pawn, and Range.

Another citizen, Brandi Dean, said she “absolutely, 100%” voted for Kemp in the primary, and wants to do it again. She added that Kemp is not afraid to share his Christian values and morals and is not afraid to put them out there. Sharing those same values, she was excited to see him in Pickens County.

Both women said that visiting Pickens county specifically was meaningful and showed that he recognized how important the rural counties are in the election.

Wrapping up the speeches, a special presentation was held as Ralph and Kim Fitts, owners of Appalachian Gun, Pawn, and Range, presented Kemp with a Smith & Wesson Governor, a snub-nosed revolver. In celebration of Kemp’s visit, Kim Fitts said they would be sending the gun into Smith & Wesson to have “Governor Brian Kemp” engraved on the barrel of the gun.

For more photos from the event, visit the FetchYourNews Facebook Page.