After two months of waiting and a wildly weird Republican race, we finally know who will challenge Democrat Stacey Abrams in Georgia’s gubernatorial race in November. Republican voters overwhelmingly selected Brian Kemp in Tuesday’s runoff—despite the fact his opponent was a moderate Republican and that Kemp only managed to get 26 percent of the vote in May’s primary.
Kemp, who currently holds the position of Georgia’s secretary of state, ran as an immigrant-hating, gun-toting, politically incorrect Republican in the style of Donald Trump. In fact, he was endorsed by Trump just last week—much to the dismay of establishment Republicans in the state and around the country, who thought his opponent, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, would be an easier sell for voters in the general election. Trump had plenty to say about Kemp’s victory and his race against Abrams on Wednesday morning. Of course, none of what Trump said about Abrams is actually true. But as we have come to know about him, being seen as a liar doesn’t stop him from spewing absolute nonsense.
Kemp’s win proves once and for all that the GOP is now firmly in Trump’s grip. And we will see in November if Kemp’s campaign of division and good old-fashioned white supremacy is a match for Stacey Abrams’ campaign of progressive values and an inclusive, bold vision for Georgia’s future.
So far, its looking like it will be a close race. Recent polls indicate that in a Kemp-Abrams matchup, Kemp is slightly ahead at 45 percent to 43 percent. But two percentage points are well within a margin of error, and many voters remain undecided. There’s lots of ground to cover between now and November, and Abrams is generating enthusiasm among Democratic voters who turned out in record numbers for the primary.
Remember: while Kemp is campaigning on a platform that caters to white, racist conservatives of the state, Abrams believes that all Georgians and their families deserve a chance to thrive.
She’s also got a sound strategy which relies on reaching the Democratic base, progressive whites, and unregistered black and brown voters, rather than trying to appeal to white moderate Republicans who are unlikely to vote Democratic. So far, the math is closely on her side. Let’s hope the momentum continues and do all we can to encourage voters to come out to help Abrams become the state’s first black and female governor. This would be a historic and momentous opportunity for the state, the country, and for the Democratic Party as well.
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