Georgia’s First Black Governor Race
After her 2018 race to become Georgia’s first black governor, Stacey Abrams became a bona fide national Democratic star. She also became a fundraising force, collecting millions from small donors to out-raise Kemp in the state’s record-setting contest.
But will she win? The rematch between Republican incumbent Brian Kemp and Abrams has voters thinking.
Stacey Abrams
Stacey Abrams, a former state lawmaker, is running for governor. She is a lawyer, author and voting rights activist. She served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2006-2017, becoming its first female leader. She is also the first African American to lead either party in a state legislative body.
During her 2018 race, she promised to make full Medicaid expansion a top priority. She plans to tackle rural economic growth and reduce the cost of insulin for diabetics.
She became a national political figure when she crushed a Republican challenger backed by President Trump in the primary. She has since founded Fair Fight, an organization that helps Democrats build voter protection teams in 20 battleground states. Abrams has a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Spelman College, an M.P.A. in public policy from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Nathan Deal
Deal has never been a politician who wears his ego on his sleeve or is comfortable in the spotlight. That’s why he tries to deflect credit for his achievements when discussing his legacy, especially as he prepares to leave office next week.
He’s quick to point out that he came into office as Georgia struggled through the Great Recession and state budget cuts had left schools and other agencies strained. But eight years later, he leaves with a rainy day fund that exceeds $2.5 billion and a AAA bond rating.
He argues that his efforts to shield education spending from other cuts has helped the state economy and boosted jobs in industries like agriculture and manufacturing. He says he has also put students first by boosting school funding in recent years.
John Barrow
John Barrow is one of the last white House Democrats from the Deep South. He first won a seat in Georgia’s 12th District in 2004. But Republicans redrawing the state’s congressional districts cut out his ancestral home of Athens and forced him to move to Savannah.
He won a second term in 2012 but lost a rematch to the GOP’s Rick Allen. He’s now running to be Georgia’s secretary of state, taking on Republican Brad Raffensperger.
He’s running on the platform of fixing “the accumulated usually minor flaws in our elections that are ignored in blowout elections but made apparent by close races for governor,” like the ones we saw in 2018. He also wants to address voter fraud and make the process easier for all voters, regardless of party.
Jon Osborne
The winner will have a major say in the state’s economic priorities and budgeting, education, healthcare and gun policies. The incumbent, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, has leaned into his record to try to persuade voters to keep him in office. He’s proud of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his decision to reopen schools and businesses earlier than most other states.
Abrams has a broad platform that includes expanding access to rural broadband, ending cash bail and “no-knock” raids and putting an end to qualified immunity for police officers. She also wants to expand abortion rights and push back on the influence of social media in politics. She also supports a ban on bump stocks and supports marijuana legalization.
John Hazel
The 2022 gubernatorial election in Georgia will see Republican Governor Brian Kemp facing Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams. The race will also feature a number of GOP and independent candidates. Abrams has made a point of calling for an audit of the state’s elections, which Kemp says is necessary to verify the accuracy of voter registration and ballot counting.
Kemp has worked hard to put Georgians first since becoming governor, and his accomplishments are many. He has kept unemployment rates low, and he has been instrumental in the state’s economic recovery.
She was a beloved member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, where she would be seen wearing a fancy hat and singing along to the choir. She was also an avid cook and baker, which earned her the nickname “Nannie.” She is survived by her two daughters, Christine Dixon-Ernst and Bettina Dixon; and four grandchildren.