Stacey Abrams Pauses Gubernatorial Campaign to Raise Money for Abortion Groups

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Stacey Abrams is “enraged” and “appalled” about the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion. Not over the leak, of course, but over the opinion that may overturn Roe v Wade. Nothing is certain and the opinion is not an official ruling yet but Abrams has taken an extraordinary step. She paused her gubernatorial campaign to raise money for abortion groups.

Abrams delivered a call to action. She’s is using the leaked opinion that may or may not become the Supreme Court’s official ruling in emails to supporters.

“We know that no one individual, campaign or organization can guarantee reproductive choice on their own,” Abrams’ campaign wrote in a campaign fundraising email. “We can only win this fight by uniting and doing the work together.”

Abrams pledged to make access to abortion a central issue in her campaign. She is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Early voting for the primary election began on May 3. More voters than ever cast ballots on the first day of early voting before a Georgia primary, with turnout nearly twice as high as the start of the 2020 primary. It is reported that Republican voters outpaced Democrat voters. Abrams is using this time to pause her campaign while she waits to become the official nominee for governor to raise money for abortion groups.

“This moment demands action, so I will be blunt: The abomination of that leaked opinion is coming to find every one of us,” Abrams said Wednesday in a campaign email. “Women in Georgia and across this country. LGBTQ+ and disabled people. And particularly those of color or low-income. This is a terrifying time for our nation.”

“In response, we have a right to be angry, and a right to be right,” the Democrat added. “But my parents taught me that it is insufficient to be merely upset; you have to act.”

Abrams, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, listed a number of abortion rights groups including Planned Parenthood Southeast and NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia that would benefit from her campaign’s funds. The announcement came a day after the former state lawmaker expressed her anger on Twitter about the draft opinion that could mean the end to a constitutional right to abortion.

Notice that Abrams, like other Democrats, is using scare tactics to justify the hysteria over the possibility of Roe v Wade being overturned. Democrats claim that overturning Roe v Wade will also set into motion taking away rights from LGBTQ people, disabled people, and low income or people of color. It’s a trope but it’s an effective way for politicians to get attention and raise money off the lie. The SCOTUS decision will only affect abortion in America. Never let a crisis go to waste, right? Overturning Roe v Wade is certainly a crisis for pro-abortion voters.

As a woman, I am enraged by the continued assault on our right to control our bodies + our futures.

As an American, I am appalled by the SCOTUS breach & its implications.

As the next Governor of Georgia, I will defend the right to an abortion and fight for reproductive justice.

— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) May 3, 2022

“As a woman, I am enraged by the continued assault on our right to control our bodies + our futures,” she tweeted Tuesday. “As an American, I am appalled by the SCOTUS breach & its implications. As the next Governor of Georgia, I will defend the right to an abortion and fight for reproductive justice.”

Abrams is a fundraising juggernaut. She fires up progressives and Democrats with her tale of victimhood after losing her previous challenge to Republican Brian Kemp for governor, claiming she was robbed of victory. Those rascally Republicans in Georgia cheated or lied or something and Kemp won the race. She refused to concede the race. Since then she has focused on get out the vote efforts for Democrats, raising money for them, and embracing the adulation of Democrats on a national level. So, throwing her weight behind those five abortion groups will likely fill their coffers.

She can make this move because of a new law passed by the Georgia Legislature in their last session. Abrams raised $11.7 million in the three months ending on April 30.

Abrams won a court order last week blocking Kemp from continuing to raise money through a special political action committee that allows unlimited giving from donors until after the primary. Candidates on their own are limited to individual donations of $7,600 for the primary and again for the general election. The special committees, created by the legislature last year, can only used by designated state officials, including the governor, and major party nominees. Abrams can not raise money through her own committee, One Georgia, until she becomes the official nominee.

It’s being reported that Abrams’ campaign resumed its own fundraising late last night. The campaign urges its donors to continue to give to the abortion groups, too. It looks like Stacey’s grand gesture was short-lived. Real Clear Politics shows Kemp with a 5.2% lead over Abrams in the November general election.

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