DALTON, Ga. — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams addressed about 350 people in Dalton, Georgia, Friday at a rally to improve healthcare in Georgia.
After introducing herself, Abrams shared a story about how she had to take her elderly father to an Atlanta hospital after an 911 call to her doctor diagnosed him with sepsis. Too many Georgia hospitals are closed, Abrams said, and she criticized Gov. Brian Kemp for not expanding Medicaid in the Peach State.
“In Georgia, every life should be given an equal chance,” Abrams said. “And we need a governor who believes in the life of Georgians. Instead, we have a governor who has taken it upon himself to deny healthcare to thousands of Georgians. Not because we can’t afford it, but because he can’t afford it. I don’t think we deserve it.”
Abrams, a former state official and tax attorney who has garnered national attention as a proponent of expanding choice, was narrowly beaten by Kemp in 2018. The Republican incumbent leads Abrams by 1.4 points, according to poll aggregator RealClearPolitics, with the general election slated for Nov. 8.
In addition to expanding healthcare, Abrams focused her speech on curbing gun violence, codifying Roe vs. Wade protections in the state, protecting electoral access, and her experience working with Republicans to help during her more than decade tenure as a Senator of the state to do things .
photo gallery
Stacey Abrams takes aim at healthcare at the rally
View 18 photos
A former accountant and “nerd,” Abrams said the state has a $5 billion surplus that she believes should go towards expanding healthcare and making sure “housing is a right.” With many Democrats distancing themselves from President Joe Biden, Abrams stressed her support for him and credited Biden with “pouring” money into the state and winning his recent climate plan.
Abrams said that while Georgia passed a mental health bill last term, it was not adequately funded. “It’s not about raising taxes,” she said, “it’s about raising expectations.”
Several Northwest Georgia Democratic leaders introduced Abrams. The group included Marcus Flowers, the party’s nominee running against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for her seat in the US Congress, and Charlie Bailey, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.
READ MORE: Democratic challenger Marcus Flowers has passed Marjorie Taylor Greene in the first quarter of 2022
Bailey, who has experience as a prosecutor in Atlanta, said Republicans talk a lot about public safety — but there’s a nearly year-long backlog of ballistics testing related to gun violence trials. He also said that if elected, he would work to protect abortion rights for Georgians.
“If the Supreme Court fails in its duty to protect the constitutional rights of the people of Georgia, we will not,” Bailey said. “We’re going to step into the breach, and we’re going to stand up for you, and we’re going to stand up for the idea that everyone in this state is equal, including women in this state.”
During the election campaign, Abrams said all Georgians said they wanted the same thing: security, justice and opportunity. Gun safety can be achieved while protecting the Second Amendment, she said. She called for background checks and red flag laws — and slammed Kemp for allowing “constitutional wear” which makes Georgians less safe, she said.
Gun violence is the number one killer of our children, Abrams said, and slogans won’t change that. She also called for law enforcement accountability, saying police racism is a reality – not a myth.
But most importantly, Abrams said that “reproductive justice” is her focus. Starting this week, she said, a doctor offering abortion services could face 10 years in prison, and miscarriages could be investigated by the sheriff.
Kemp describes himself as a moderate, Abrams said, but in reality he is “a hard right religious extremist who has stolen the right to citizenship from the women of the state of Georgia. It’s time we took it back.”
In a question following her speech, Physician Lemuel Arnold said expanding Medicaid is not enough because his patients are often denied care by for-profit companies that contract with the state health plan. Abrams told the LaFayette doctor that Medicaid has improved patient outcomes, citing her plan to expand healthcare options in rural areas if she is elected governor.
After the rally, Sandra Pride, a Rocky Face resident, said Georgia needed someone to represent everyone, not just the rich. She said she’s tired of Kemp talking about a surplus when an important service like education isn’t being adequately funded.
“Stacey has enough experience with the legislature,” Pride said. “And she grew up poor, she knows how to budget. I think she would do a really good job.”
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @tweetatwilkins.
