December 26, 2024

Stacey Abrams Draws Praise for Georgia As Democrats on Cusp of Taking U.S. Senate

Stacey Abrams #StaceyAbrams

Stacey Abrams talking on a cell phone: Former US Representative and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams speaks at a Get Out the Vote rally on November 2, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. © Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images Former US Representative and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams speaks at a Get Out the Vote rally on November 2, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia.

With Democrats on the cusp of winning control of the U.S. Senate, one woman is again being lauded—Stacey Abrams.

Abrams has been on a years-long mission to tackle voter suppression in the state, initially working to register Georgia voters with her New Georgia Project and then with Fair Fight, the voting rights organization she founded after narrowly losing her bid to become Georgia’s first Black governor in 2018. Her efforts were widely credited for Georgia flipping Democrat in the 2020 election.

Raphael Warnock Projected To Win Georgia Senate By AP, CNN, NBC, FOX

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Now, Democratic challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock has defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in Tuesday’s special Senate election to become the first Black senator in Georgia’s history.

And if Jon Ossoff is to prevail over Republican David Perdue, the Democrats will have a 50-50 seat split with Republicans in the Senate—and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be able to cast tie-breaking votes for the Democrats.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Abrams drew attention to the “extraordinary” and “tireless” volunteers, canvassers and groups that have been working to get people to the polls in Georgia’s twin Senate runoff elections since November.

“With new votes joining the tally, we are on a strong path,” Abrams tweeted. “But even while we wait for more, let’s celebrate the extraordinary organizers, volunteers, canvassers & tireless groups that haven’t stopped going since Nov. Across our state, we roared. A few miles to go…but well done!”

But others on Twitter heaped praise directly on Abrams for her leading the effort to register voters and increase turnout in Georgia, paving the way for both Biden’s victory and possibly delivering the Senate to the Democrats.

“No matter what happens, @staceyabrams is an American hero,” Mary Trump—President Donald Trump’s niece—tweeted.

“You get what you organize for. The brilliant @staceyabrams knew that and we are all grateful for it,” Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted.

“Good argument to be made that Stacey Abrams is one of the most consequential women in US history,” David Mack, of BuzzFeed News, wrote.

Actor Alex Winter wrote: “Stacey Abrams is the MVP of 2020, helped wipe the floor with Trump, Loeffler, Purdue and McConnell. Credit where it’s due.”

“Stacey Abrams and the other activists/orgs working in GA remain impressive. They really do get out the vote,” writer Roxane Gay wrote.

Jemele Hill added: “Think about it: @staceyabrams getting an election stolen from her might lead to a Democratic majority in the Senate and then her being Georgia’s governor in 2022. Won’t black women do it.”

Activist DeRay Mckesson wrote: “Stacey Abrams had a vision, stayed the course despite the critics, and did what she said she’d do. The lesson is right there. She did that.”

Clint Smith, a writer for The Atlantic, noted: “To her credit, at every turn Stacey Abrams goes out of her way to say that this wasn’t just because of her. She tells folks that she’s just one part of an ecosystem of organizers who have been doing this work for years. She knows it was a team effort, we should all remember that.”

Robert Reich, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, added: “A special heartfelt thank you to Stacey Abrams. Although she goes out of her way to say this has been a team effort — and indeed, it has been — every team needs the inspiration and wisdom of a great leader. She has been a great leader.”

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