With the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election still undecided, politician Stacey Abrams is among the trending topics on Twitter this week, where thousands are recognizing her and her work in Georgia. Abrams ran unsuccessfully against Republican Brian Kemp in 2018 for governor of Georgia, but “unsuccessful” is not a word to describe Abrams’ work. When one door closed, she opened another and has been relentlessly fighting for the voting rights of underrepresented communities since 2019.
Here are three reasons Abrams will continue to be one to watch beyond 2020:
Her race for governor of Georgia.
- A Spelman College graduate, Abrams sought to become the first Black governor of Georgia. On the evening of Nov. 6, 2018, all of America had eyes on Georgia to witness the outcome of the potentially historic election. In a very tight race, Kemp ultimately defeated Abrams by less than 55,000 votes. Voter suppression was suspected to be a major factor in that election due to numerous reports from around the state of long lines at polling locations, voting machines failing to work, and many rejected absentee and mail-in ballots, but Abrams did not concede until her campaign ensured that every vote was counted.
Her national voting rights organization, “Fair Fight U.”
- Abrams established Fair Fight U in 2019 with the goal to combat voter suppression and promote fair elections in Georgia. The organization encourages civic engagement, brings awareness to voter suppression tactics, and educates the public about voter rights.
Her impact on the 2020 presidential election.
- The outcome of the 2020 presidential election depends on the results from Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. Abrams is leading the initiative to ensure that every vote is counted in Georgia, including those of eligible voters who cast absentee and mail-in ballots. For now, Republican president Donald Trump has a narrow lead over Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Georgia. While the votes are still being counted, for the first time since 1992, Georgia has the possibility of becoming a blue state.
