Kemp claims 'strong lead' in Georgia race as Abrams holds out for possible runoff

Record ID: 1363269

  • Title: Kemp claims 'strong lead' in Georgia race as Abrams holds out for possible runoff
  • Date: 7th November 2018
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA, STACEY ABRAMS, SAYING: "I'm here tonight to tell you votes remain to be counted. There are voices that are waiting to be heard. Across our state, folks are opening up the dreams of voters and absentee ballots. And we believe our chance for a stronger Georgia is just within reach, but we cannot seize it until all voices are heard. And I promise you tonight, we are going to make sure that every vote is counted. Every single vote. Every vote is getting counted. Because I'll tell you this, in a civilized nation, the machinery of democracy should work for everyone, everywhere not just in some places and not just on the certain day." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA, STACEY ABRAMS, SAYING: "If I wasn't your first choice, or if you made no choice at all, you're going to have a chance to do a do-over. And I need you to know that it is my mission to serve you, to serve Georgia, to make you proud. And for those who didn't pick me the first time, to change your mind about me and what we can accomplish together. You see, I learned a long time (ago), we don't need to agree on everything but I will always respect you, and I will do everything I can to keep you safe and help you live your best lives. Because that's what leadership requires at this moment and it is how we breathe life back into our republic when it seems to be shallow of breath."
  • Embargoed: 21st November 2018 08:24
  • Keywords: Stacey Abrams governor Georgia black female African-American Brian Kemp
  • Location: ATLANTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: ATLANTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00295IADDZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams, 44, who is vying to become the nation's first black female governor said she waiting for the final tally before conceding although most polls showed Republican Brian Kemp leading.
    "We are going to make sure that every vote is counted. Every single vote. Every vote counts," Abrams said on Tuesday (November 6).
    In Georgia, critics have drawn attention to Kemp's dual role as a candidate for governor and as supervisor of the state's elections in his capacity as secretary of state. Kemp accused Democrats on Sunday (November 4) of trying to hack voter registration systems, without offering any supporting evidence. Democratic Party officials, who have accused Kemp of trying to suppress the minority vote, quickly denied the charge.
    Kemp told supporters he had a "strong lead," adding, "make no mistake the math is on our side to win this election."
    A nonprofit group, Protect Democracy, said it had filed an emergency lawsuit on Tuesday asking a federal judge to block Kemp from presiding over the election results, including any recount or runoff race.
    Under Georgia law, if neither Abrams nor Kemp wins a majority of the vote, their battle continues to a December runoff. The presence of a third-party candidate on the ballot makes that possibility more likely.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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