Voting rights advocate and former top Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives tweeted her announcement, saying she was running “because chances in our state should not be determined.” by zip code, background, or access to power.”
Abrams’ announcement is a boon for Democrats. Abrams ran for governor in 2018, losing by 1.4 points to Kemp, but her campaign has catapulted her into the upper echelons of the Democratic Party and made her a fundraiser who can spend thousands. million dollars. Democrats believe demographic and political changes in Georgia – as evidenced by President Joe Biden’s election victory there last year and the state being represented by two Democrats in the Senate – make it possible for a Democrat to become the top executive of the state.
Abrams is also expected to clear the way for Democrats in the race, something Kemp and Republicans have never done. After angering former President Donald Trump for not getting tougher with his baseless claims of voter fraud in Georgia and elsewhere in the 2020 election, Trump rebuffed Kemp and pledged will cost him politically for his disloyalty.
One possible vehicle for Trump’s revenge tour: Former Sen. David Perdue, who lost to Sen. Jon Ossoff in a babysitter earlier in the year.
Republicans in the state have told CNN they hope Perdue will soon make a decision on running against Kemp in next year’s primaries, after Perdue allies raised the possibility of entry. October.
Trump’s anger at Kemp is so deep that he has sometimes praised Abrams as a way to attack the Republican governor. While speaking in Georgia earlier this year, Trump said of Kemp, “Stacey, do you want to take his place? I’m fine.”
He added: “Of course, having her, I think, might be better than having your current governor, if you want to know what I think. Chances are that would be better.”
The GOP split will give Abrams momentum in an election year that’s if not difficult for Democrats.
“The odds are only in her favor if Republicans have a bloody primaries,” said Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host based in Atlanta.
The Republican Governors Association said it would support the GOP incumbents, including Kemp, who are facing key challenges. Dave Rexrode, chief executive officer of RGA, reiterated that point in a tweet that also followed Abrams.
“We beat her once (although she won’t admit it) and we’ll do it again,” Rexrode tweeted Wednesday. “[The RGA] all join to vote again [Kemp] and keep the GA header on track. “
Abrams first ran for office in 2007, when she won a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. Over the next 10 years, she built a solid reputation within the Democratic Party in Georgia, a stance that helped her launch her 2018 campaign — an effort to make her a woman leader. the nation’s first black.
She lost that election, but exposure in the race made Abrams a popular and sought-after Democrat. After the election, Abrams founded Fair Fight, an organization that advocates for voter protection across the country, and found himself high on Biden’s list of potential vice-presidential candidates next year. 2020.
Abrams’ rise to prominence in the Democratic Party made her a target of Republicans, who have repeatedly criticized her way of refusing to give in to the 2018 Kemp race because of concerns about voter suppression.
“So let’s be clear – this is not a speech about concessions, because giving in means acknowledging an action as right, right or appropriate,” she said at the end of the campaign. mine. “As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot admit that. But, my assessment is that current law allows no more viable remedy.”
Kemp responded to Abrams’ Wednesday announcement by saying “next November’s election for Governor is a battle for the soul of our state.”
“I’m in the fight against Stacey Abrams, Biden’s failed agenda, and their allies have awakened to keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family.” , the governor added.
