Abrams makes picks in Democratic runoffs
Democratic runoffs to test Abrams' strength within party
After staying publicly neutral in the Democratic primary, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams is now getting involved in the upcoming Democratic runoff elections that will decide who will join her on the ticket in November.
On June 21, Georgia Democrats will return to the polls to nominate candidates for Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor, Insurance Commissioner and Labor Commissioner. Republicans will not have any statewide runoff elections this month.
The runoffs will be the first big test of Abrams’ strength within the Georgia Democratic Party since winning the nomination for governor.
In the race for Lieutenant Governor, Abrams is supporting Charlie Bailey, an Atlanta prosecutor who was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General in the 2018 election. He had initially planned to seek the attorney general’s office again but switched to the Lieutenant Governor race after pressure from party leaders.
In the primary, Bailey finished with 18% of the vote — far behind former Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall’s 30%. The two emerged from a field of nine candidates and are now competing to take on State Sen. Burt Jones, a Republican who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Abrams has endorsed Bbee Nguyen for Secretary of State. Nguyen, a nonprofit director, is a state lawmaker who represents the same Atlanta area House district that Abrams once did. She gained national attention for her tough questioning of Trump’s legal team in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
Nguyen’s 44% showing in May was short of the 50% runoff threshold. She now faces former State Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who finished second with 18%. Dawkins-Haigler has snagged endorsements from all of her former rivals in the Democratic primary. The winner is set to face incumbent Brad Raffensperger, who pulled off an outright victory in the Republican primary after a public feud with the former President over the 2020 election.
State Rep. William Boddie has been endorsed by Abrams in the runoff for Labor Commissioner. Boddie, a Democrat from East Point, is facing entrepreneur Nicole Horn in the runoff. Horn finished second with 25% to Boddie’s 28%.
The winner will face Republican State Sen. Bruce Thompson in the race to oversee the Georgia Department of Labor, which has been heavily criticized by both parties for its handling of unemployment claims during the pandemic.
Abrams highlighted her endorsements in a statement. “To build a stronger Georgia, we need leaders who will work for quality, affordable healthcare, defend civil and human rights, protect the right to vote and build an economy that works for everyone,” she said on Thursday. “Charlie, Bee and William are the proven leaders that our state needs in this difficult moment, as we ensure Georgia becomes a state where every Georgian has the opportunity to thrive.”
Abrams did not endorse in the Democratic runoff for Insurance Commissioner.
Excellent choices..VOTE!👏🏾💯