When the Atlanta newspaper publishes an article, yesterday, that Stacy's support among blacks is slipping, you know she is in trouble.
By Anjali Huynh - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Greg Bluestein - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sept 22, 2022
As Stacey Abrams took the stage at a recent campaign stop, one person at the crowded Atlanta event was at the top of her mind.
“Daddy, stand up,” Abrams said as her father, Robert Abrams, was showered with applause before an audience of several hundred people.
“I am not a Black man, but I’ve been raised by one,” she said, adding, “and I am always going to say that if Black men stand with me and vote for me and work with me, we can change the future of Georgia.”
That Abrams would need to hold an event designed to garner more support among Black Georgians in the final stretch of her campaign for governor is emblematic of one of the more surprising — and for Abrams, troubling — developments in the race.
In 2018, Abrams came within 55,000 votes of defeating Republican Brian Kemp thanks to a surge of votes from Black Georgians. She energized voters of color who often skipped midterms with a liberal platform and a history-making appeal to become the first Black governor in state history.
In 2022, however, the Democrat is struggling to solidify her support with African American voters she must mobilize to win the rematch.
A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll underscored her difficulties, showing she has 79% of support from Black voters. While that might appear to be a lofty number, Democrats typically poll at least 10 percentage points higher with Black voters. Among Black men, Abrams’ support dips to 75%, with an additional one-fifth backing Kemp and 6% undecided.
It’s no anomaly. Other recent polls have indicated Abrams has lagging support among voters of color, and Kemp is notching double-digit backing from Black Georgians in a string of surveys released this week.
