Stacey Abrams in November 2018.Photo: John Bazemore/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Stacey Abrams will make history if she’s elected as governor of Georgia during the midterm elections on Tuesday.
As the 44-year-old Democratic nominee faces off againstBrian Kemp, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, here is what you need to know about the woman who has captured national attention.
- She has celebrity support — including fromOprah Winfrey.
In November, Winfreyappeared at campaign eventsfor Abrams, as Vice PresidentMike Pencevouched for Kemp. Winfrey pounded the pavement to urge citizens to vote for Abrams.
In one video that Winfrey shared on Instagram, a woman named Denise was amazed to open her front door and find the former talk show host. “Oh my god!” Denise yelped. “Hi Oprah.”
At one of her campaign appearances, Winfreydenied that she is running for presidentand praised Abrams for “standing strong for the values that matter to me and the values that matter to Georgians all over this state.”
ComedianWill Ferrelland his wife Viveca also canvassed for Abrams, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. Former presidentBarack Obama— who labeled Abrams the “most experienced, most qualified candidate in this race” — jetted to Georgia to lend his support as well,Politicoreported.
Pence has criticized Abrams’ famous fans. “I heard Oprah was in town today. And I heard Will Ferrell was going door-to-door the other day,” he said, according toTime.“Well I’d like to remind Stacey and Oprah and Will Ferrell: I’m kind of a big deal, too.”
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- She has a history in politics.
Abrams graduated from Yale Law School and served as the minority leader of Georgia’s House of Representatives, according toCNN.
PresidentDonald Trumpcalled her “not qualified to be the governor of Georgia” and said to “take a look at her past” and “what she wants to do and what she has in mind for the state.”
Abrams defended herself on CNN. “He’s wrong,” Abrams responded. “As President Obama pointed out, I am the most qualified candidate running. If you look at both my academic background, my work history … I know what I’m talking about, and I have the plans to prove it.”
President Barack Obama and Stacey Abrams together in November 2018.John Bazemore/AP/REX/Shutterstock
- If she wins, she would make the history books.
If elected, Abrams would be the first black female governor in American history, according toThe Washington Post.
“We have an opportunity to make history,” Felicia Davis, who has worked on Abrams’ campaign, toldThe Washington Post. “It’s like the ceiling on top of the glass ceiling.”
“I come to this race understanding that our diversity is a strength. No, I am not like what has preceded me. I look very different,” Abrams said onCNN. “But that difference is about my experiences and my sympathy and my empathy for the communities who need a voice.”
Stacey Abrams in July 2018.ERIK S LESSER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
- She defended her gun control stance onThe View.
Meghan McCainpressed her on her gun control stance onThe Viewin October.
“Do you, like Everytown, support banning the AR-15?” McCain asked.
“Let’s be clear: I am not anti-gun. My great-grandmother taught me how to shoot when I was growing up in Mississippi,” Abrams said. “I don’t hunt because I mostly eat chicken, and that just seems mean.”
“However, I know that the most responsible gun owners understand that they have the responsibility for the firearms and making sure that only responsible people have those firearms. That’s why I believe in a background check. I believe in a three-day waiting period. I believe that those who commit domestic violence and stalking should not have access to weapons. I do not believe that weapons of mass destruction like the AR-15 believe in civilian hands.”
- She is an author.
Abrams has written eight romance suspense books under the name Selena Montgomery, theAtlanta Journal-Constitutionreported. Her books have sold more than 100,000 copies.
John Bazemore/AP/REX/Shutterstock
“Storytelling is absolutely a necessary part of how you do politics,” Abrams told the newspaper, “because people need to understand that you get their story and that you can explain complicated ideas to them in ways that resonate, especially if it is not their own story.”
source: people.com
