“The head of Georgia’s ethics commission has filed a spate of subpoenas targeting groups led by Stacey Abrams and the chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, prompting criticism that he’s trying to exact political revenge against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s political opponents,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Abrams May Not Decide on White House Bid Until Fall
Stacey Abrams responded to whether former Vice President Joe Biden asked her to be his running mate, telling Morning Joe: “He did not.”
She also confirmed she was thinking about running for president, but said she didn’t think a decision needed to be made before the fall.
Said Abrams: “I’m not going to make a decision driven by other people’s timelines.”
Abrams Builds Massive Political Network
“Stacey Abrams is set to reveal soon whether she’ll run for president or senator or something else,” Politico reports.
“But in recent months, the Democrat has mounted a nationwide, largely below-the-radar effort to expand her donor and political network that will make her an instant force whatever she decides.”
Abrams Says Race Played Role In Beto’s Rise
“Stacey Abrams, the Democrat who narrowly lost the Georgia gubernatorial race in 2018, said she believes race may be playing a role in Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke’s rising popularity after his failed Senate run,” she told MSNBC.
“Abrams suggested that she and former Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum did not receive the same attention as the former Texas congressman, whose popularity skyrocketed after losing his 2018 Senate race.”
Abrams Dismisses Idea of Being Biden’s Veep
Asked about rumors that former vice president Joe Biden might consider selecting her as his 2020 running mate, Stacey Abrams told The View: “I think you don’t run for second place.”
She added: “If I’m going to enter a primary, then I’m going to enter a primary.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“I will say the presidency wasn’t top of mind to begin with, but I think the success I had in our election, transforming the electorate, the work I’ve done as a business leader, as a civic leader, as a political leader, positions me to be just as capable of becoming the president of the United States as anyone running.”
— Stacey Abrams, in an interview with CBS News.
Abrams Says She Could Run for President
“Stacey Abrams, a rising star in the Democratic Party, said Monday it was possible she could seek her party’s presidential nomination next year,” CNN reports.
“Abrams’ comment came after an interview at the South by Southwest conference in Texas, where Abrams reportedly said she previously thought 2028 would be the earliest she could run for president, but over Twitter, she clarified: ‘Now 2020 is definitely on the table.'”
Should Stacey Abrams Run for President?
New York Times: “The flash of enthusiasm for Ms. Abrams came as no surprise to Georgia Democrats, who rallied behind her run to become governor there last year, which would have made her the first black women to lead a state. And her well-received speech Tuesday evening will most likely intensify the current efforts by national party leaders to recruit Ms. Abrams to run for Senate in 2020.”
“But some of her supporters and other Democrats are also asking whether she should be running for an even bigger position — and why the clamoring has been louder for some white male politicians to run than for her.”
Stacey Abrams Breaks State of the Union Curse
Atlanta Journal Constitution: “She told supporters she was ‘terrified’ of squandering the chance to rebut Donald Trump’s address, like so many from both parties had done before, with a miscue that ruins the opportunity… What followed was a 10-minute speech Tuesday that combined tales of her upbringing in Mississippi, the merits of bipartisanship in Georgia and biting criticism of Trump and Republican policies.”
“And she steered clear of the gaffes or awkwardness that tripped up so many of her predecessors — like Marco Rubio’s gulping of water, or Joe Kennedy’s too-glistening lips — and kept the focus instead on her competing political vision.”
“That meant her critics seized on the substance of her message rather than the optics around it.”
The Atlantic: “In a brief speech lauded by Democrats, Abrams succeeded in elevating an event that is often awkward and anticlimactic by nature.”
Quote of the Day
“We were sitting around thinking about this three weeks ago, and her name came up. Immediately, everyone in the room said, ‘Let’s do it.’ She’s an amazing person with an amazing story.”
— Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, on picking Stacey Abrams to deliver the Democratic response to President Trump’s State of the Union address.
Stacey Abrams Will Give Democratic Response
Stacey Abrams will deliver the Democratic response to President Trump’s State of the Union address next week, Politico reports.
Abrams drew national attention last year when she ran for governor of Georgia.
Abrams Plans Suit to Fix Georgia Voting Process
“Her campaign for governor may be over, but Stacey Abrams is not going away.”
“She told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she’s not ruling out a run for another public office, perhaps as early as 2020. But before she considers a new campaign, she is throwing her energy behind a new federal lawsuit alleging mismanagement and malfeasance at nearly every level of Georgia’s electoral process.”
Abrams Considers Unprecedented Legal Challenge
“Stacey Abrams’ campaign and legal team is preparing an unprecedented legal challenge in the unresolved Georgia governor’s race that could leave the state’s Supreme Court deciding whether to force another round of voting,” the AP reports.
“The Democrat’s longshot strategy relies on a statute that’s never been used in such a high-stakes contest. It is being discussed as Georgia elections officials appear to be on the cusp of certifying Republican Brian Kemp as the winner of a bitterly fought campaign that’s been marred by charges of electoral malfeasance.”
Atlanta Journal Constitution: “Abrams is fast running out of options to close a deficit in the race for Georgia governor.”
She Could Be America’s First Black Female Governor
Molly Ball: “Describe someone as ‘commanding the room’ and you generally conjure an image of gravitas — a man, likely white, in a suit, emitting soaring oratory. Abrams is a big-boned, natural-haired, youthful-looking woman with a quizzical smile and a gap between her front teeth. She’s as likely to geek out about tax policy or Star Trek as she is to summon the spirit of justice.”
“Yet when she speaks, all kinds of people — from black folks in rural communities to yuppie ‘resistance’ moms around Atlanta to this crowd of rough-handed electrical workers — go quiet and listen. In a Democratic Party divided and desperate for fresh faces, Abrams is already becoming a national star.”
