STACEY ABRAMS: SUPPORTING HER SECOND RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA

STACEY ABRAMS

SUPPORTING HER SECOND RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA

By Carla Dempsey, Freelance Writer

Nearly 1.3 million new voters have been added to the rolls since candidate for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams’ last ran for the seat in 2018. Of those new voters, Abrams’ campaign has reported that 47 percent are people of color. She is confident that will make a successful impact in placing her in the seat for the Georgia governorship in her second run as the 2022 midterm elections approach. If elected, Abrams will be the first woman and the first person of color to win governorship in Georgia. All 435 two-year seats in the House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 Senate six-year seats are contested in the 2022 midterm elections. And while those outcomes set the stage for party leaders on a federal level, a majority of legislation is settled at the state level. A gubernatorial win for Abrams will directly impact her constituents of Georgia, where she said she will continue her work to advocate for voting and minority rights. “We know that across the state of Georgia, if you are a Black or Latino worker or a woman, that the economic solutions that were supposed to have made their way to you have not made their way,” Abrams said in a video interview posted to her Facebook page. “I am going to acknowledge the fact that a lot of solutions being proposed aren’t targeting those communities.”

Abrams announced in early December that she would continue that fight with a second run for governor. In 2018, she narrowly lost the race to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp by just under 55,000 votes of the nearly 4 million cast. Kemp will face challenger Republican Sen. David Perdue in the primary election. Despite the outcome in the primary, the Georgia votes in the general election on Nov. 8 promises to, again, be a key race to watch as Abrams works to win the seat. Other key 2022 midterm election races to watch, according to ABC News, include: • Pennsylvania Senate race – Republican Sen.

Pat Toomey will not seek reelection, leaving

Democrats hopeful to pick up the state in 2022. • Ohio Senate race – Republican Sen. Rob

Portman’s retirement leaves the seat up in the air. • North Carolina Senate race – Republican Sen.

Richard Burr’s retirement will spur a battle for republicans in the primary, and a chance for former state Supreme Court Justice Chari

Beasley, who is the leading Democrat and could become the only Black woman in the Senate and the first to represent North Carolina. • Georgia Senate race – Democrat Sen. Rachael

Warnock, the first Black Senator from Georgia, will defend his seat. • Arizona Senate race – Democratic Sen. Mark

Kelly will defend his seat against a crowded

Republican primary field. • Wisconsin Senate race – It is undetermined if Republican Sen. Ron Johnson will seek reelection, whole current Lt. Gov. Mandela

Barnes is the top Democrat in the race. • Alaska Senate race – Incumbent Sen. Lisa

Murkowski, who voted to convict former

President Donald Trump on charges of inciting

an insurrection, will go up against state official Kelly Tshibaka. • Michigan governor race – Democratic Gov.

IF ELECTED, ABRAMS Gretchen Whitmer will run to retain her seat

WILL BE THE FIRST while former Detroit Police Chief James Craig WOMAN AND THE FIRST PERSON OF COLOR TO is the top contender in the crowded Republican primary. WIN GOVERNORSHIP IN • Wyoming House race – Republican Rep. Liz GEORGIA. Cheney, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 for inciting an insurrection, will face primary challenger Harriet Hageman. Back in the swing state of Georgia, Abrams remains focused on bringing her political background and experience to the table. Prior to her first run as governor, Abrams served in the George House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017 and was minority leader from 2011 to 2017. In 2018, Abrams started the Fair Fight organization, which seeks to ensure free and fair elections. She is a New York Times bestselling author and has recently released her first children’s picture book titled, “Stacey’s Extraordinary Words.” Abrams said she was inspired by her mother, who was a librarian, and her dad, who she described as an amazing storyteller. The book supports the importance of resilience and perseverance. “Telling stories and understanding how words change your life have been so critical and central to who I am,” Abrams said in an interview about the book with ABC News. “Getting to talk to this young audience has been the most fun I have had as a writer.” n