US Midterms: Abrams, Kemp Debate in Ga. Gov. Race
In a 2018 rematch, Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams clashed at a debate on Monday after more than 100K people went to the polls on the first day of early voting.
Facts
- In a 2018 rematch, Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams clashed at a debate on Monday after more than 100K people went to the polls on the first day of early voting.
- Abrams described Kemp's lack of gun control as "dangerous." Referring to the continued prevalence of school shootings in the US, she stated, "these are communities that want to be safe" and "we can protect the Second Amendment and second-graders."
- Kemp, meanwhile, focused on "going after street gangs," proposing a fresh set of anti-crime laws focusing on increasing mandatory prison sentences for gang members and those recruiting juveniles.
- The candidates also clashed over Kemp's record during COVID, with the governor touting economic success due to a more rapid re-opening, and Abrams citing increased federal support as the reason for economic growth.
- Kemp also revealed that he would not pursue any new restrictions on abortion and birth control, while Abrams accused the governor of having weakened women's rights and "denied women's access to reproductive care."
- Libertarian Party nominee Shane Hazel challenged both candidates over income taxes and other issues, and could potentially be a wildcard to force a run-off if neither Abrams nor Kemp receive 50% of the vote.
Sources: Associated Press, Newsbud, spectrumlocal, Politico, and Daily Progress.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The Guardian. Campaigning to be the first Black female governor in American history, Abrams is looking to take one step further from her narrow loss in 2018. Despite her near-miss, national Democrats saw and continue to see a promising leader who cannot be counted out with time still to go until Election Day.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Baffler. Among prominent Republicans, Governor Kemp is the least dependent on Trump. Refusing to submit to Trump's election claims and promoting clean-energy conservatism, his strong approval numbers against Abrams can be attributed to his focus on widely popular issues. Kemp may well be the way forward for the GOP.
