With the announcement of her candidacy for governor, Stacey Abrams is making history-making moves in effort to be the first black female governor in the United States of America. In the history of this country’s existence, a black woman has never held office as governor of any state. The 43-year-old Democratic leader of the Georgia State House hopes to give the role of state governor a woman’s touch for the very first time in history.
Stacey Abrams officially announced her run for candidacy over the weekend (June 3). According to The Washington Post, Abrams was the frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s nomination.
Though the Yale-trained lawyer and business exec is by and large considered to be the most savvy and skilled political leaders the state has to offer, her victory to win term-limited Gov. Nathan Deal’s seat won’t come easy.
She might be the woman for the job, but black women filling statewide roles nationally have been few and far between. In fact, only 11 black women have ever been elected for such positions. And on a state level, a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide office for the Peach state in 11 years.
However, the change that the South has experienced racially, where African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans have seen an increase in population, might prove to provide the change in political landscape Democrats have been needing. As more and more voters are believed to want candidates that reflect them, the potential for Abrams to win the office is there.
In an interview she did last week, Abrams stated, “Democrats in the South have to reject the notion that our geography requires that politicians soften our commitment to equality and opportunity and that you have to look a certain way. We have to be architects of progressive solutions, and that means leadership that believes we can defy the odds. I believe Democrats have the ability to win, because we have the votes.”
If she does win the governor’s office this election season, this will not be Abrams’ first time breaking down historical barriers. The political dynamo was the first female Georgia General Assembly leader as well as the first black Georgia House leader.
What’s Stacey Abrams’ reason for rising to the challenge of being the first black female governor in the nation? In an Instagram post that Abrams shared, she revealed, “I am running for governor because every Georgian deserves the freedom and opportunity to thrive, but too many of us are being left behind or left out.”
Join Abrams in her historical and find out ways you can show your support by visiting www.staceyabrams.com.
Photo Credit: Stacey Abrams/Instagram
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