Safari Club International (SCI) proudly announces that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has been selected as its 2026 Governor of the Year in recognition of his strong leadership and support for wildlife conservation, sportsmen's rights, and public access to hunting lands.
Elected in 2018 as Georgia's 83rd governor and now serving his second term, Governor Kemp has built a record of advancing science-based conservation policy and strengthening outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. His administration has prioritized funding and support for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, including investments in wildlife habitat, conservation initiatives, state game wardens, and the acquisition of high-value conservation lands.
"Governor Kemp has demonstrated a clear and sustained commitment to conserving Georgia's natural resources and protecting the rights and traditions of hunters and anglers," said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. "His leadership reflects the core principles SCI champions, which includes responsible wildlife management, conservation funding, and ensuring future generations can enjoy the outdoors."
Governor Kemp signed laws protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Georgians and ensuring "No-Net-Loss" of state-owned public hunting land. In 2022, he supported House Bill 586, reinstating the Georgia Conservation Tax Credit through 2026, which provides landowners with added financial incentive to conserve critical acres of forest, wetlands, and working land.
His support for sportsmen's rights dates back to his time in the Georgia State Senate, where he supported the constitutional right to hunt and fish—a measure that was ultimately approved overwhelmingly by Georgia voters in 2006. Prior to his service as governor, Kemp also served as Georgia's Secretary of State from 2010 to 2018.
A lifelong outdoorsman, Governor Kemp was introduced to hunting at an early age, dove hunting with his father and later deer hunting with his uncle. He remains an active hunter today, continuing to pursue upland game and bow hunt white-tailed deer in Georgia.
Background:
For over 50 years, Safari Club International (SCI) has been the leader in defending the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI is unique in the scope of our ability to defend and advance our freedom to hunt. SCI is the only hunting rights organization with a Washington, D.C.-based national and international advocacy team and an all-species focus. SCI also mobilizes more than 150 chapters and affiliate networks representing millions of hunters around the world.