A day before the midterm election in Georgia, Stacey Abrams still trails incumbent Republican candidate Brian Kemp, according to the latest polls. Kemp leads 52% to Abrams’ 44% as of the morning on Nov. 7, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Abrams cited misinformation geared toward Black men as one of the reasons she’s behind in the polls.
“We know Black voters are often discounted [in polls],” she said on MSNBC. “Unfortunately this year, Black men have been a very targeted population for misinformation. Not misinformation for what they want, but about why they want what they deserve.
“My campaign has been the only one that has very intentionally, thoughtfully and consistently reached out. That has been misconstrued as concern, when indeed it’s just been respect.”
https://twitter.com/ZaidJilani/status/1589108732591759360?s=20&t=OKtm7ln_39HwltBfayp7Aw
Rolling out reached out to Abrams’ team for further comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
The belief Black men have been misinformed in the campaign period is also a belief former Atlanta mayor and current White House employee Keisha Lance Bottoms shared on MSNBC as well.
“I listen as my kids watch NBA highlights and whatever else they watch on YouTube,” Bottoms said on the network. “I hear the misinformation being piped in. My 12-year-old, my 14-year-old son, my 20-year-old [are] getting this. There’s definitely a target toward African American men.”
Bottoms also went on Twitter and compared Abrams trailing to the Atlanta Falcons 2017 Super Bowl, after the team blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots.
I love the @AtlantaFalcons and it pains me greatly to remind Georgians of “28-3”. Remember when we were up at the half and then lost in OT? Well, think of early voting as the half and Election Day on Tuesday as OT. If we don’t show up on Tuesday, we will lose. #VOTE pic.twitter.com/ApDZgJiLTe
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) November 7, 2022
On a national level, perhaps no other candidate has received as much celebrity support in the midterms as Abrams. She has a cameo on “Star Trek,” was on “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah, and has received endorsements from Barack Obama, Oprah, John Legend and Kerry Washington. She’s also hosted a town hall with Charlamagne Tha God and 21 Savage, an event where she reassured Black men she had the best interest in them, despite the narrative she didn’t. Throughout her campaign, she has spoken out about police brutality targeting Black men, having Black brothers and being raised by her Black father.
A Black man raised me to dream and plan and do – whether that was starting my first business or running for governor. Because of him, I am. And I’ll never do less than he expects. pic.twitter.com/h5uLnxkub2
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) November 6, 2022
If elected, Abrams will become the first Black woman governor in the United States.
