Stacey Abrams aims for history with second run for governor – The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Along the way, Abrams was considered as a potential running mate for Biden and became a highly sought-after public speaker and author worth more than $3 million who now has investments in technology and a solar startup.

But she has also kept her eye on the governorship since her last run for office. It was soon clear to me that the work still needed to be done and that the direction that Gov. (Brian) Kemp was taking the state in was not consistent with what I believe the state needs, Abrams said.

If Abrams prevails in her race against Kemp, she will make history as the first Black governor of Georgia and the first Black woman to serve as governor of any state.

But she faces significant challenges to gain enough support among voters, who have put Republicans in the Governors Mansion since 2003 and given the GOP a strong majority in the state Legislature.

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Even if Abrams were to win the race for governor, the likely Republican majorities in Georgias House and Senate mean it could be difficult for her to accomplish some of her key campaign promises including expanding Medicaid.

Know that what I say Im going to do, Im going to do, Abrams said at a recent campaign event.

Thats easier said than done, according to University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock.

It will be a challenging situation where she will have to negotiate every step of the way, Bullock said.

Thats not entirely unfamiliar territory for Abrams.

As a legislator she had the reputation of being able to work in a bipartisan fashion, Bullock said. Both Republicans and Democrats would say she was probably the smartest person over there ... (and) would come to her and ask her to explain complex legislation.

But for those who see Abrams as a hero of the left and would expect her to deliver on Democratic priorities such as expanding Medicaid and repealing Georgias restrictive abortion law and permitless gun rights statute as she has vowed, the political realities could bring disappointment.

Shes not going to have a majority in the House, shes not going to have a majority in the Senate, and its not going to happen, said Fran Millar, a Republican from Dunwoody who left the state Legislature in 2019.

Expanding Medicaid and repealing the abortion and gun laws are just not in tune with where we are in the state, Millar said, adding thats why he also think Abrams wont win against Kemp.

State Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula, said Abrams is attempting to divert attention away from what voters really care about, and that is the harmful economic impact of the Biden administrations failed economic policies, and I expect that those are the issues that the Legislature is going to focus on.

Abrams also wants to legalize sports betting and casino gambling to expand HOPE scholarships. She has pledged to use Georgias $6.6 billion budget surplus to fund some of her key initiatives, including raises for teachers and law enforcement officers and a $1 billion tax refund to many Georgians. But some key elements of her platform would require cooperation from the Legislature.

When asked about the likelihood of an expansion of Medicaid if Abrams is elected governor, state Rep. Carolyn Hugley, a Columbus Democrat who was Abrams top deputy in the House, said: I would never underestimate Stacey Abrams. ... I think there is a possibility it will happen.

Stacey Abrams has proven that she can fight. And when she becomes governor she will have to prove she can lead and she can govern, Hugley said. Those are two different things.

Abrams, for her part, said she is absolutely certain she can expand Medicaid, adding that most legislators want to get more people on the public health plan. And she has aimed to channel frustration over the states anti-abortion restrictions and permissive gun policies into votes.

But Abrams noted that her first priorities will be making certain we are taking care of the fundamental issues in Georgia, including education, jobs and affordable housing.

It wouldnt be the first time a Georgia governor has dealt with a divided government. Early in Republican Sonny Perdues first term as governor starting in 2003, Democrats had the majority in the Georgia House. But in Perdues time, Republicans held the majority in the Senate and some Georgia Democrats in office were conservatives, Bullock said.

Today, for Abrams, liberal Republicans dont exist, Bullock said. If she were elected governor, Republicans could work to obstruct her.

Abrams also would face the challenge of gaining the trust of legislators across the aisle after Fair Fight spent the past four years suing Georgias Republican leadership and accusing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of voter suppression and unconstitutional election policies.

In her 2018 campaign for governor, Abrams lost to Kemp with 49% of the vote and delivered an election night speech in which she did not concede a move that has dogged her during this years campaign as critics compare her to election deniers who say Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

In the wake of Kemps win, Fair Fight called for a federal judge to overturn state laws, alleging that statutes resulted in purged registrations, canceled ballots and other obstacles to voting. On Sept. 30, a federal judge ruled against Fair Fight in the remaining parts of its voting rights lawsuit.

After the judges decision, Kemp tweeted that Abrams had used this lawsuit to line her pockets, sow distrust in our democratic institutions, and build her own celebrity.

Its no surprise that Abrams has been derided by Republicans. But Abrams also has some detractors in her own party.

As minority leader, she sometimes made decisions that actually angered the progressive wing of the Georgia General Assembly, Emory University political scientist Andra Gillespie said. I dont think shes the type of person that would let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Abrams says she once took a tea party leader out to lunch, for example, to discuss environmental legislation and its impact on property values. And she partnered with Republican state Rep. Tommy Benton who called the Ku Klux Klan not so much a racist thing but a vigilante thing to keep law and order to advocate for kinship child care.

Kendra King Momon, associate provost and professor of politics at Oglethrope University, said, Inevitably in this role shes going to disappoint some Democrats, at the national level and among voters.

Because at some point, in order to pass some of this legislation perhaps some of the more controversial hot topic legislation she may have to concede a bit from what she proposed in order to get Republican support, Momon said.

Age: 48

Born: Madison, Wisconsin, before moving to Gulfport, Mississippi, as a child

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The AJC is committed to ensuring that Georgians are fully educated about the candidates for governor and others who seek public office. It is critical that voters know where each candidate stands on important issues, what moneyed interests might influence them and whether the candidates have behaved ethically. Todays focus is on Democrat Stacey Abrams.

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Stacey Abrams aims for history with second run for governor - The Atlanta Journal Constitution