Abrams “deeply proud” of Georgia turning blue but says work isn’t done yet

Georgia made a stunning turn to blue during the 2020 election with President Joe Biden winning the state and the victories of Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock in the Senate runoff.

All three Democrats were sworn into office during a historic Inauguration Day on Wednesday.

Many have credited the work of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams for her role in the state’s flip this election cycle.

In an interview this week with Channel 2 anchor Lori Wilson, Abrams stressed that changing Georgia politics wasn’t a solo effort and that the job isn’t done yet.

“I appreciate the support and the accolades, but I want to keep reminding folks that it took millions of votes, and hundreds of people and organizations to get this work done. And it was a 10-year journey,” she said. “While I’m deeply proud of the work, and the role that I played, I want to always be certain that we give credit to all of the groups and the people who worked together to make this happen.”

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Abrams, who served as minority leader in the Georgia House from 2011 to 2017, gained national prominence during her 2018 bid to become the nation’s first Black female governor.

Following her narrow loss in 2018, she launched Fair Fight Action, a progressive election reform organization aimed at protecting voting rights and addressing voter suppression.

Abrams told Wilson she is proud of what they have accomplished over the past three years and looks forward to the Biden administration and the new Congress members from Georgia working together.

“We are proud of the work we did to guarantee access to the right to vote. We are deeply proud of, and I am deeply proud of, the transformation we have seen in Georgia,” Abrams said. “But you know, I always meet these moments with gratitude for the work done by others, but also with the recognition that this is the beginning of the work we have to do. We’re not done yet.”

RELATED STORIES

• Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff sworn in as Georgia’s new Senators
• From Biden’s speech to a local fire captain’s Pledge: Watch every historic moment of the inauguration
• Read President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Speech

As for what comes next, Abrams is focusing on not seeing rollbacks in voter access while also paying attention to COVID-19 recovery efforts.

She launched an organization called the Southern Economic Advancement Project. Abrams said she wants to emphasize how hard COVID-19 has hit the South and communities of color.

“We have to have a COVID recovery package that focuses on our needs and understands that the South is different, but just as vital to the rest of this country, as I think this election cycle proved,” she said.

While Abrams told Wilson her focus for the future, the one question remains on many people’s minds: Will she run for office again?

“I’ve made no decisions about my political future,” Abrams said.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Georgia lawmakers could change how future elections are done