Yes, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams says she is still mulling over a run for the White House in 2020—and that the decision will rest on an issue dear to her: voter suppression.
In an interview on the podcast Pod Save America Thursday, Abrams confirmed that a presidential run is still on the table. When asked what factors were weighing on her mind, Abrams singled out voting rights, saying that if Democratic presidential candidates were not prioritizing that issue, she would jump into the pool her damn self.
“For me, the most important and urgent conversation of the day is the fight for free and fair elections, because I believe that that is an existential crisis facing our democracy,” Abrams said. “We can not win elections in America for the people if we do not have candidates who are fighting against voter suppression.”
She also pushed back against #TeamResist—noting that the election isn’t against Donald Trump, “it is for America.” On this point, Abrams talked strategy, saying that presidential candidates needed to know how to “maximize our turnout, not to win the popular vote, but to win the Electoral College vote.”
“I’m looking at all that, and I want to make certain that the candidates who are moving forward are paying attention to that and have plans for that,” Abrams said. “If I think they don’t, I’ll probably jump in myself.”
Voter suppression was a key factor in Abrams’ 2018 loss to her Republican gubernatorial opponent, then-Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Nationally, landmark civil rights legislation like the 1965 Voting Rights Act have been chipped away by the Supreme Court, as well as individual state legislatures. Just last month, Tennessee’s Republican-led House passed a bill that would restrict groups mounting voter registration efforts, and impose harsh penalties on individuals found non-compliant with the new laws. Naturally, the bill comes after concerted efforts to boost voter turnout among black voters and voters of color.
As CNN reports, Abrams previously said if she decided to run, she may not announce a bid until the fall; the former Georgia House Minority leader also said she didn’t consider the current Democratic 2020 field too packed.