Stacey Abrams mentioned in December that she had intentions of running for Georgia governor again. Now, it’s official. She has qualified to run for the race going back up against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, reported ABC News.
Abrams said the issues she was focused on in 2018, including expanding healthcare, are pretty much the same this time around. Following the pandemic, the need for healthcare is greater now than ever before.
From ABC News:
“When I ran for governor in 2018, I ran on a platform of opportunity for all wanting to ensure that we expand Medicaid, that we fully and permanently fund education, that we build economic development plans that work for every Georgian,” she said. “Sadly, those are still the issues we need to focus.”
Abrams mentioned Medicaid seven times in her brief remarks, underlining the proposed expansion of health insurance coverage as the centerpiece of her and most other Georgia Democrats’ platforms in 2022.
Abrams also said Gov. Kemp is approaching the topic of Medicaid with “meanness and callousness.” Per ABC’s report, Kemp plans to expand coverage to fewer people, requiring recipients to work or attend school. The Biden administration has refused to approve it.
Abrams is coming in with a new slew of support, though. She was credited for turning Georgia blue during the presidential election for the first time since 1992, per ABC. Additionally, she’s one of the biggest voting rights advocates in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of Black people to the polls in and out of her home state.
Kemp’s spokesperson Tate Mitchell said Kemp would do his damndest to block her from becoming governor or president. Luckily, her loss in the 2018 race only motivated her more.
Other Republicans including Sen. David Perdue are running against Kemp as well. In the running for state office are Senators Butch Miller or Gainesville (Republican) and Jen Jordan of Sandy Springs (Democrat). Sen. Ralph Warnock is also seeking to win a six-term and Republican Herschel Walker is unfortunately still trying.