by Jason Hopkins
Less than three months after losing her Georgia gubernatorial bid, Democrat Stacey Abrams is set to launch a “thank you” tour across the state, potentially testing the waters for another campaign.
Abrams, a former state representative and romance novelist, will begin her campaign-like circuit Monday with a restaurant stop in the south Georgia town of Albany. The tour is meant to energize the state’s Democratic base as she mulls a possible 2020 run for the U.S. Senate. Republican Sen. David Perdue, one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies in the upper chamber of Congress, will be up for re-election.
“Abrams will also outline ways to stay involved during legislative session and beyond,” reads a description of the upcoming event.
Abrams has kept a busy schedule since losing in November to then-Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. She recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with Senate Democratic leadership to discuss her possible 2020 plans. The former state representative has remained active in the media, where she made an appearance on PBS and said she “wouldn’t oppose” non-citizens participating in municipal elections — and also said 16-year-olds should be able to cast ballots.
The Georgia Democrat has also made headlines for sharply contesting the results of her gubernatorial loss, accusing Kemp, without evidence, of maliciously suppressing voter turnout, and refusing to call him the “legitimate” governor of Georgia. Abrams has launched Fair Fight Action, a voting rights organization that is suing the state over its electoral policies.
Notably, the Fair Fight lawsuit attacks legislation Abrams herself sponsored while serving in the Georgia House of Representatives.
Abrams has given herself until the end of March to figure out if she wants to make a senatorial bid. She is also reportedly mulling a rematch with Kemp in 2024, a campaign some of her closest aides say she’d prefer because of her inclination towards state-based issues.
In the meantime, numerous high-profile Georgia Democrats are waiting until she makes a decision before they move forward with their own campaigns.
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Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Jason on Twitter.
Photo “Stacey Abrams” by Stacey Abrams.
