From the moment Stacey Abrams announced her intention to run for governor of Georgia on Wednesday afternoon, the landscape in US politics changed. Many observers, who were quietly hoping for a rematch between the former Georgia minority leader and current Governor Brian P. Kemp, have had their wishes granted. With Abrams’ announcement, the Georgia Governor’s Race in 2022 has become America’s most watched political competition.
That number includes various Republicans who launched attacks against Abrams that appear to have been in the Drafts folder of their email and social media accounts for the past two years (or more). The opening salvo came from Georgia GOP Chairman David Shafer:
“The Georgians rejected Stacey Abrams once, and I have no doubt they will reject her again. It is absolutely not in line with the mainstream of Georgia. “
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp fired his tweet from his drafts, claiming Abrams closed the state with their “watch policy”. He tweeted the following thread below:
“With Stacey Abrams under control, Georgia would have been closed, students would have been banned from their classrooms, and awake politics would be the law of the country and the curriculum in our schools. Their far-left agenda of open borders, gun confiscation, high taxes and anti-legislative policies does not reflect who we Georgians are. Stacey’s never-ending campaign for power has already harmed Georgia corporations and cost our state millions – all in the service of her ultimate ambition to be President of the United States. The election for governor next November is a battle for the soul of our state. I am fighting Stacey Abrams, the failed Biden Agenda, and its awakened allies to keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family.
Most notably, former President Donald J. Trump, disaffected with Governor Kemp and determined to destroy him for refusing to defend Trump’s claim that President Biden stole Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. In an email, Trump said he defeated Abrams in 2018 and vowed to do it again without the help of Governor Kemp:
“Stacey ‘The Hoax’ Abrams just announced that she is running for Georgia governor. I beat her single-handedly in 2018, without a great candidate. I’ll beat them again, but it’s going to be tough with Brian Kemp because the MAGA base just won’t vote for him after what he’s done with respect for electoral integrity and two horrific elections, for the president and then for two seats in the Senate. But some good Republicans will run, and some good Republicans will get my support, and some good Republicans will WIN! “
One thing is certain and two things are certain: Georgia will be a major player in national politics in 2022, and the Georgia Republican Party is desperate to regain the trust and admiration of former President Trump.
Three years after Abrams lost to Brian Kemp by 55,000 votes, Abrams didn’t give in. During her November 2018 speech, Abrams said the former foreign secretary was “deliberate and willful in his actions” in suppressing voting in African American and minority communities. She also vowed to base her future on voting rights and equity for Georgia.
“As I have been doing for over twenty years, I will stand by my Georgian compatriots in their pursuit of fairness,” Abrams said. “Only now am I doing this as a private person who is ready to continue to defend those whose decisions have been refused full expression of opinion.”
Since then, the Republican-dominated state legislature has passed sweeping electoral reforms that promised reforms and what Kemp says “makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat”.
“Congratulations to Georgia and the Georgia state legislature for changing their electoral rules and regulations. You have learned from the travesty of the 2020 presidential election, which must never take place again. It is a shame that these changes could not have been made earlier! “Said former President Trump in a statement.
Governor Kemp promised these reforms after a painful 2020 presidential campaign that saw Georgia Republicans lose both Senate seats and the presidential election. It was the first time since 1992 that Georgia had gone to the Democrats.
Former US Senator David Perdue reportedly launched the idea of running for governor. However, he did not officially climb a primary challenge. However, should Perdue run for governor, it will spark civil war within the Republican Party of Georgia. Lithonia Republican (and former Democrat) Vernon Jones also filed paperwork to tackle a primary challenge.
In addition, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan said he would not run again. Pro Tem Butch Miller in the US state Senate is running for Duncan’s soon-to-be-vacant office and promises to reunite the Republican Party of Georgia on the principles of the former president.
