SHE'S IN!: Stacey Abrams Is Challenging Gov. Brian Kemp (Again) in GA Gubernatorial Race

By Paige Boyd, Managing Editor

On Wednesday (Dec. 1), voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams announced that she is once again running for Governor of Georgia, setting the stage for a heated rematch between herself and the state's current GOP governor, Brian Kemp.

Her announcement, posted on her Twitter account, highlighted her continued efforts for equal voting rights in the wake of her narrow 1.4 point defeat in 2018, saying that "opportunity in our state shouldn’t be determined by zip code, background or access to power." According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Abrams is entering an already hectic political battleground in 2022, with Democrats on the defensive (including Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock, who is looking to win a full term after winning the runoffs earlier this year.)

As expected, Gov. Kemp blasted the announcement, saying in response, "Next November’s election for governor is a battle for the soul of our state. I’m in the fight against Stacey Abrams, the failed Biden agenda, and their woke allies to keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family.” However, his own shot at the GOP nomination is far from a sure thing, as former Senator David Purdue emerges as a strong contender in recent weeks. Although he has yet to officially declare that he's running, sources say that Purdue has been in contact with Fmr. President Trump, who is still at odds with Kemp for failing to illegally overturn the 2020 Presidential Election in his favor. Trump's presumed endorsement of Purdue, should he enter the race, could split the GOP in half and diminish their chances to defeat Abrams.

With a united Democratic party behind her (and no other Democrats announcing their bid as of yet), as well as her political success at the grassroots level, Abrams could become Georgia's first Black Governor and the first woman elected to a U.S. gubernatorial seat. However, with the recent wave of voting rights restrictions in the state, it will be far from a cake walk.