Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) appointed business executive Kelly Loeffler to fill Sen. Johnny Isakson’s (R) seat when he retires at the end of the year, bucking President Trump's wishes.

Trump and his allies had called for the governor to appoint Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) to Isakson’s seat.

But in tapping Loeffler, Kemp is hoping to strengthen the Republican Party’s appeal to female voters, many of whom have abandoned the party and its candidates in recent years.

Kemp himself narrowly prevailed over Stacey Abrams (D), a former minority leader in the Georgia state House, in last year's hotly contested gubernatorial race.

Isakson, who has served in Congress for more than two decades, announced in August that he would step down at the end of the year from the Senate seat he has held since 2005, citing mounting health problems.

His resignation and Loeffler’s appointment sets up a special election in 2020. The state’s other senator, Republican David Perdue, faces a reelection bid of his own next year. That leaves two Senate seats up for grabs in Georgia.

Kemp said on Wednesday that he had “no short list prepared or leading candidate in mind” when he set out to find Isakson’s replacement earlier this year. But he emphasized Loeffler’s business credentials and outsider status as reasons for her appointment, characteristics he said she shared with Trump and Perdue.

“I am excited to appoint a lifelong Republican who shares our conservative values and our vision for a safer stronger Georgia,” Kemp said. “We’ve seen firsthand the impact of political insiders like Donald Trump and David Perdue in Washington DC. It’s time we send them some reinforcements to keep America great.”

Even before Loeffler’s official appointment this week, Trump and congressional Republicans were said to be frustrated with Kemp’s decision.

The president and House conservatives had been pushing Kemp to appoint Collins, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee who has played a crucial role in defending Trump in the face of an ongoing impeachment inquiry.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a staunch ally of the president, suggested that by bucking Trump’s will, Kemp may be setting himself up to face a primary challenge in 2022.

“If you substitute your judgement for the President’s, maybe you need a primary in 2022,” Gaetz tweeted. “Let’s see if you can win one w/o Trump.”

Loeffler, a multimillionaire, is planning to spend $20 million of her personal fortune on her Senate bid next year, according to a person familiar with her plans. She’s the CEO of the financial services firm Bakkt and a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream WNBA franchise.

And despite gripes from some of the president’s allies and Republicans in the House, Loeffler has the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has called her a “terrific appointment.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee on Wednesday backed Loeffler in a statement sent by McConnell.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/472587-georgia-governor-bucks-trump-with-senate-seat-appointment