Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams has promised to raise the pay of teachers who work in the state if she is elected governor in the upcoming election.
“We are losing the fight for our children’s future,” Abrams said while accepting the endorsement of the Georgia Association of Educators, per AP News. “We need a governor who does not see education as an election year gimmick, but sees our responsibility as a guarantee for the strongest future for our people.”
Early indications show that the current governor, Brian Kemp, is in the lead.
Kemp narrowly defeated Abrams in 2018. Kemp was secretary of state when they first faced each other. After the results, Abrams charged Kemp with abusing the election process and intentionally alienating Black voters. Since then, Abrams has become one of the most prominent advocates for voting rights.
Abrams is a fierce defender of abortion rights. Kemp is not.
In 2019, Kemp boasted about signing “the toughest abortion bill in the country.”
House Bill 481, better known as “The Heartbeat Bill,” would outlaw abortion as soon as a doctor can detect a heartbeat in a fetus– six weeks gestation. The bill was signed despite the majority of Georgians supporting abortion rights.
“There will no doubt be a legal battle. And we’re ready for a fight,” the Republican said. “I have no ill will for people who oppose this, and I understand it. But this is about protecting life, and we’re willing to fight for it.”
Abrams does not believe it should be down to politicians to make the decision.
“For me, the conversion was slow, but it was true and it remained. Because fundamentally, the answer is that this is a medical decision and it is a personal decision. And in neither of those two instances should there be any intervention by a politician,” said Abrams via Washington Post.
