Gov. Brian Kemp delivered his annual State of the State address Thursday, a speech that began sketching out reelection hopes on a strong economy, shadowed by Georgia’s soaring COVID-19 death toll and historic Democratic wins in the state for president and two Senate seats that shifted the balance of power in Washington.

Marking the halfway point of four years in office, the first-term Republican reflected heavily on the crisis created by the virus, but also celebrated some victories. He argued that the state’s economy is growing and its budget picture has brightened considerably since lawmakers made $2.2 billion in cuts last year, fearing a revenue collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More at News4Jax.