Four years ago, Stacey Abrams walked into the Georgia State Capitol as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, hoping to make a respectable run to the governor’s seat. Since March 6, 2018, Abrams ran for governor, saw her star shine brighter after she suspended her campaign (she never conceded defeat to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp), founded Fair Fight (an organization dedicated to fighting prescribed voter suppression) and received flowers after registering 800,000 voters ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Abrams announced her intention to run for governor on December 1. On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, Abrams put pen to paper and successfully filed her papers to run for governor later that year. She says her platform has remained largely unchanged over the past four years.
“When I ran for governor in 2018, I was running on a platform of opportunity to ensure that we expand Medicaid, that we fully and consistently fund education, that we create economic development plans that work for every Georgian,” Abrams said. “Unfortunately, those are still the issues we need to focus on. The current governor’s last four years of inaction and incompetence means I’m just trying to do what’s right for Georgia again. And I think we’ll make it this time.”
Abrams emphasized her belief in access to health care for all.
“I believe expanding Medicaid serves all of us,” Abrams said. “Defending our right to vote serves us all. Ensuring access to education, whether you live in rural communities or in the city, serves us all. We need a governor who believes in all of Georgia.”
Abrams has no opposition on the Democrat side as she is Georgia’s de facto leader and torchbearer.
Abrams was joined by State Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway, State Senate Minority Leader Elena Parent, D-Decatur, Campaign Manager Lauren Groh-Wargo, her family members and about forty supporters.
Tuesday’s announcement didn’t get lost in the minds of their potential Republican challengers.
Stacey Abrams, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, enters the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
“We hope Stacey Abrams has her concession speech more readily available this round, she’s going to need it once and for all,” Republican National Committee Garrison Douglas said.
Former US Senator David Perdue is expected to qualify later this week. When he announced his intention to run for governor in December, Perdue went to FOX News: stopping Stacey Abrams with an agenda.
“I came in [the race] Quite simply to stop Stacey Abrams and save our state,” Perdue said. “It is a sad state of affairs that our current governor has lost the trust of many Republicans.”
According to a recent FOX News poll, Kemp received 50% of the vote, Perdue received 39% of the vote and 10% of voters are “unsure” or would consider voting for another Conservative.
According to the campaign financial report filed Jan. 31, Perdue reported raising about $1.2 million, about half of the $2.5 million Kemp raised over the same two-month period. And Perdue reported far less cash — just under $900,000 — than either Kemp ($12.7 million) or Abrams ($7.7 million).
As Republicans prepare to fight before the May 24 primary, Abrams is going full steam ahead. Abrams was asked about the bitter redistribution battles that are currently taking place and she was disgusted.
“We know there have been aggressive attacks on communities of color in parts of our country, including the state of Georgia, that should not be supported and should not be sustained,” Abrams said. “And that means we have to fight harder to make sure every voice is heard in this country, especially in the state of Georgia.” We’ve seen the brute force here in the Capitol against our local communities because there are Republicans who don’t like the rise of diversity in certain districts.”
Cobb County and Gwinnett County are the two places where power struggles in their delegations have been venomous. Cobb County has county commissioners who have been retired from their districts. Conversely, Gwinnett County intends to elect new school board members after the new card was recently agreed and signed into law by Governor Kemp.
Finally, the Fulton County Board of Elections (which has been on the GOP’s line of fire since the defeat of former President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election) has been in the crosshairs of many conservatives. Republicans believe the state should take over and oversee the organization. In fact, Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties are three of the most ethnically diverse counties in Georgia.
“We should be looking for leaders who are willing to let the people of these communities choose not to have their leaders manipulate and strategize to steal votes and power in the state of Georgia,” Abrams said. “Yet, Democrats have shown they have our leadership capacity at the state and national level, and I look forward to being at the top of the ticket with Senator Raphael Warnock to pave our way forward.”
Stacey Abrams, candidate for Georgia’s Democratic governorship, signs the required paperwork to be eligible to run in the November election. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
Stacey Abrams, candidate for Georgia’s Democratic governorship, signs the required paperwork to be eligible to run in the November election. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)While Abrams won’t face a primary challenge, several Democrats are vying for a chance to become Georgia’s next lieutenant governor.
Kwanza Hall announced his intention to run for lieutenant governor on Monday. Hall served as an Atlanta City Councilman from 2006 to 2017. Before that, he served on the Atlanta School Board from 2003-2006. Hall would later complete the remaining term of office of the late US Representative and civil rights icon, John Lewis.
State Assemblywoman Renitta Shannon also qualified for election. Shannon has served in the State House since 2017 fighting for workers’ rights, campaigning against voting restrictions and campaigning for abortion rights. If elected, the South DeKalb attorney would become the first member of the LGBTQ community to win a stateswoman bureau.
State Representative Derrick Jackson is also running for lieutenant governor. Jackson served in the US Navy for twenty-two years. He joined the Legislature in 2017, representing the 64th House District, which largely includes parts of Fayette County.
On the Republican side, Senate Pro Tempore Butch Miller is running for Lieutenant Governor. Though Miller is currently one of the more powerful Republicans in the state, Miller said he will continue to champion conservative values when he gets the gavel in 2023.
“I believe I am uniquely qualified by my personal background with my family, uniquely qualified by my business experience and uniquely qualified by my legislative experience,” Miller stated. “I’ve served in a number of roles and that makes me the person, the great person, the distinctive person, leading this state and the state senate.”
The primary elections in Georgia are scheduled for May 24 and the deadline for registering to vote is April 25.
