Even when it was evident that she had lost the Georgia governor’s election to Republican Brian Kemp 4 years ago, Stacey Abrams refused to accept.
The next election is here, and Abrams will face Brian Kemp, who won a landslide victory against a primary candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Abrams has been seeking a rematch for a long time, turning down several offers to run for Senate in 2020 and establishing a reputation as a strong fighter for voting rights. Through his time in power, Brian Kemp has proven to be an astute politician, co-opting or marginalizing opponents. In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary, the governor and his backers have focused heavily on Abrams, hoping to heighten the contrast between them.
Brian Kemp Defeated David Perdue
Brian Kemp is already exploiting Abrams’ national ambitions to mobilize Republicans against her, claiming that she is using the election as a springboard to national importance and is relying on outside party surrogates and funds. Some consider Abrams a possible presidential contender, and she has publicly touted herself as Biden’s running mate in 2020.
However, Abrams‘ campaign claims that Democrats have significantly increased their voting base in the last four years, citing 1.3 million additional voters who have registered to vote in Georgia since her defeat. They estimate Democrats have a 17-percentage-point edge with these new voters.
Victories have re-energized the long-beleaguered party, they claim, citing Biden’s close victory in the county in 2020 and then two Democrats winning runoff races in early 2021. Kemp’s supporters argue that the confrontation with Trump’s hand-picked candidate demonstrates that he isn’t beholden to the party’s de facto leader, which will appeal to suburban voters. Kemp has treaded a thin line with Trump, avoiding outright criticism in order to avoid upsetting the former president’s followers.
