When Abrams came in with his powder blue jacket on, the crowd got to his feet and cheered.
“I want us to be Georgia where your zip code and your income don’t determine your quality of life,” Abrams said.
The crowd – which included a school administrator, a teacher and several veterans – listened as Abrams praised the work of a major homeless shelter nearby and asked for a moment of silence to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
“The issue of preserving democracy is one of scale and intent,” he said. “And we are responsible to do our little part here. And we must set an example of the atrocities that are happening there.”
Abrams’ second bid for governor kicked into high gear this week with several rallies and meetups as part of his “One Georgia” tour. Abrams met Georgians up and down the state from Cuthbert to Atlanta.
“I worked and now I want a job,” she told a crowd in Atlanta.
His second candidacy comes at a time when much is at stake in Georgia. While now-President Joe Biden narrowly won the state four years ago — followed by two Senate runoff victories rewarding Democrats’ control of the Senate — the state remains in the game. In addition to the gubernatorial race, it will host a major Senate race in the fall, with Sen. Raphael Warnock defending his seat. And statewide voters will soon experience provisions set out in election law passed by Republican state lawmakers last year, from limited drop boxes and small runoffs to changes in absentee voting and offers of food and drink to people queuing to vote. ban on.
For Abrams, she could end up in a historic rematch against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who is engaged in a bitter primary contest with former Sen. David Perdue.
“I think she started this race four years ago and she is building a career and a value system at the moment. She is at the right time,” said Donata DeFilippi, a supporter at the Atlanta Rally.
His pitch to voters makes little mention of the last election and has instead focused primarily on his plans to expand Medicaid, recover from the COVID pandemic, shore up broadband in rural communities, and invest in education. ,
“I believe it was really unfair. She was robbed a lot,” said Stacy Rice, 62, a retired veteran of Warner Robbins’ program. A woman in the crowd later questioned Abrams. That sentiment echoed during the session, with the woman asking why Abrams decided to run again.
“When you apply for a job, and you don’t get it publicly, it can be a little daunting,” Abrams said.
“It’s not your fault, it was stolen,” replied the woman.
“No. We’re not going to do that. You’re just trying to start trouble. Stop it. The election is over and when that election was over, I wasn’t the governor. I didn’t win.” Abrams responded before turning the conversation back to the central themes of his campaign.
Although Democrats are projected to face an uphill midterm election year battle—historically, the party in power suffers—Abrams has honed in on local issues in what he feels is a winning playbook. He is confident that the strength of his own brand in Georgia can transcend the national landscape that his party will face. And with the benefit of not facing a primary challenge, she can start preparing her message for the general election early.
When Abrams was asked by CNN whether he was concerned about Washington Democrats’ inability to pass the signing law on voting rights and that police reform would affect his bid for governor, he suggested that Democrats should tell voters . How long does it take and should be for these policies to move forward. Ambitious goals don’t need to be flawed.
“We must do the big things, the hard things, the hard things. But we also have to be honest about how long it’s going to take. My responsibility when running for governor is not to distance myself from the hard things. Just, That’s it. That’s how we work hard,” he replied. “I’m not worried about it,” she said.
Although Abrams is deliberately aiming to keep her race position focused, Republicans will use her national aspirations and celebrity status against her. She is known nationwide for being the strategic mastermind behind the continued voter engagement strategy that ultimately led to those Democratic victories in the January 2021 Georgia runoff. Abrams was also candid about his interest in becoming Biden’s running mate in 2020.
“Stacey Abrams may see the governor’s mansion as the next step on the way to the White House, but Georgians will not be fooled,” Kemp’s press secretary Tate Mitchell said in a statement this month.
Although Kemp enjoys the power of power, he faces a formidable primary challenger at Perdue, which is backed by former President Donald Trump. Trump wrongly argued that Kemp did not do enough to reverse the 2020 presidential election results, and by extension, the issue has become certain for Perdue’s campaign. Later this month, Trump will travel to Georgia to hold a rally for Purdue in commerce.
But as the GOP primary becomes a challenge for the current governor, Kemp spends more time attacking Abrams directly.
“At this point, David Perdue’s campaign is nothing more than a contribution of sorts to Stacey Abrams. While the former senator continues to run an unsuccessful campaign, Governor Kemp continues to unify Republicans behind a record of results and defeat Abrams. Cody Hall, Kemp’s director of communications and senior advisor, said in a statement earlier this month.