Twice-failed Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is back in the news again, dropping a head-scratching plan about her political future that will no doubt leave many in her party secretly hoping she changes her mind. Abrams, who twice lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and alleged the elections were stolen, is reportedly considering a third run for governor, according to Democratic sources.
The idea of Abrams, 51, running again—eight years after her first campaign—unsettles party leaders who feel she’s had ample opportunity. In 2022, her support fell by six points (Abrams down 3, Kemp up 3) from her 2018 performance, and leaders fear a third bid would fare even worse. “She’s run twice, and that’s enough to convince me she won’t win,” said Jimmy Johnson, former chair of the Appling County Democratic Committee. “Can some other Democrat win? Yes, if there is a candidate who can hold 90% of the Black vote and attract rural voters and somehow overcome the GOP’s very effective whisper campaign.”
And Marilyn Langford, a vice-chair of the 9th Congressional District, put it more bluntly to the Constitution-Journal: “Abrams is great, but she missed the train.” Unlike past gubernatorial races, Democrats aren’t stepping aside for Abrams. State Sen. Jason Esteves jumped into the contest earlier this week, and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is soon expected to announce her candidacy. More contenders may follow.
With Gov. Kemp term-limited, Democrats face their first open-seat gubernatorial contest in nearly a decade. Some party leaders are more optimistic about Abrams mounting a third campaign, citing her exceptional name recognition and national fundraising ability. She’s also credited with spearheading the voter registration and mobilization efforts that helped Democrats win both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats in 2020.
“The question is how durable is her popularity among that rank-and-file at this point?” said Carter, the party’s 2014 nominee who this week made the decision not to join the race. “Can she match this moment better than she matched the moment the other two times?” However, an informal survey of 30 Democratic activists found that many think Abrams should decide for herself whether to run again. “As an influential party leader and two-time gubernatorial candidate, Stacey would be a strong and qualified candidate in any race she chooses to run,” DeKalb County Democratic Committee chair Brandi Wyche said, “or be an influential supporter of another Democratic candidate, if she so chooses.”
If she does decide to make a third bid for governor, it won’t be without a hefty amount of political baggage. In January, state watchdogs slapped a record $300,000 fine on Abrams and New Georgia Project leaders for illegal voter-registration schemes ahead of her 2022 campaign. A month later, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency revealed the Biden-Harris administration awarded a $2 billion grant to another Abrams-run nonprofit that had reported just $100 in revenue the previous year.
