Though it seems the Georgia gubernatorial contest is finally over, Democrat Stacey Abrams is not done fighting.
On Friday, Abrams announced she would no longer seek victory in the contentious race, admitting she could not defeat her opponent Republican Brian Kemp; however, she insisted her speech was not one of concession.
"This speech is not a concession, because concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true, or proper," Abrams said. "As a woman of conscious and faith, I cannot concede that. But, my assessment is the law currently allows no further viable remedy. Now, I can certainly bring a new case to keep this one case alive, but I don't want to hold public office if I need to scheme my way into the post, because the title of governor isn't nearly as important as our shared title: voters. And that is why we fight on."
Abrams, who was vying to become Georgia's first black female governor, made the announcement Friday evening, 10 days after the midterm elections wrapped up and Kemp became the apparent victor. Abrams refused to concede at that time, pointing out that there were still votes that hadn't been counted. Georgia law states that a runoff is required if none of the candidates receive more than 50 percent of the vote. According to the Associated Press, unofficial returns show Kemp leading with 50.2 percent.
Last month, the AP published an investigative report that revealed Kemp's office had about 53,000 voter registration applicants still pending; out of that figure, 70 percent belonged to black residents. Abrams, along with many civil rights organizations, accused Kemp and Georgia officials of conducting a discriminatory, voter suppression scheme. During her speech Friday, Abrams confirmed she will file a federal lawsuit to restore the integrity to Georgia’s election process.
"In the coming days, we will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect future elections," she said.
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