Stacey Abrams launches new bid for governor in Georgia

Abrams narrowly lost 2018 bid against Brian Kemp, who is running for reelection

Democrat Stacey Abrams launched a second bid to become the governor of Georgia on Wednesday, just over three years after her defeat to the state’s current governor, Brian Kemp, in a narrow election marred by accusations of voter suppression.

Her announcement came in the form of an advertisement released on Twitter; in it, the former state lawmaker touted her work to help the most vulnerable in the state, including numerous images and other references to the rural areas of the state where her campaign is hoping to gain ground in communities that typically vote conservative.

I’m running for Governor because opportunity in our state shouldn’t be determined by zip code, background or access to power. #gapol

Be a founding donor to my campaign:https://t.co/gk2lmBINfW pic.twitter.com/z14wUlo8ls

— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) December 1, 2021

Ms Abrams launched a statewide voter registration effort following her defeat in 2018, during which she alleged that voter roll purges initiated by state Republicans had pushed Mr Kemp across the finish line. In 2020, her work appeared to pay off as it swung in favor of President Joe Biden, and months later elected two Democratic senators in runoff elections.

She was widely considered to be a potential contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, and was also on some pundits’ list of possible vice presidential candidates once Mr Biden won the nomination.

Ms Abrams, if elected, would become the first Black governor in the state’s history, as well as the first Black woman to be elected governor of any state. Her candidacy in 2018 ended in a narrow margin of defeat that was less than two per cent of the overall vote.

Now, she hopes her work as a state-focused voter rights activist as well as her work helping needy families across the state and expanding access to Covid-19 vaccines in rural counties will help make up the small gap that separated her from victory and the governor’s mansion last time.

Mr Kemp is running for reelection and already has the backing of the state’s Chamber of Commerce; however, he made an enemy in former President Donald Trump by not attempting to overturn his state’s lawful election results last year and therefore could face the prospect of a GOP primary challenger backed by the former president and current Republican kingmaker.

The Republican governor has nevertheless remained a conservative opponent to Mr Biden, and recently sued the federal government in the hopes of blocking a mandate instituted by the president requiring all employers with 100 or more workers to get their employees vaccinated or tested regularly.