EMILYs List Endorses Stacey Abrams for Governor of Georgia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams for governor of Georgia. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement:
 
“There’s no question about it: Stacey Abrams is the strong leader Georgians deserve as governor. Her record speaks for itself. She strove for increased access to affordable quality health care for all Georgians, championed successful legislation serving more than 100,000 children in Georgia raised by grandparents and other relatives instead of foster care, and traveled and held town halls across the state to listen to the working families she serves. Stacey knows the people of Georgia because she has fought tirelessly for them for years – and we know as governor, she will always put them first.”
 
“Stacey has proven herself to be an absolute tour-de-force in a state that has never before elected a woman or person of color as governor. We are proud to stand by her side.”
 
“Stacey has shattered barriers time and again during her career – all while proving herself as a champion for the women and families of the Peach State. As the state’s first-ever woman or African American to lead either party in the House of Representatives, Stacey is a fierce champion for Georgia’s working families and is deeply committed to ensuring all Georgians have a voice. With only two Democratic women governors currently in office, we know Stacey will make a powerful addition to their ranks. Stacey Abrams has always been a trailblazer – and she is the strong, courageous leader working families need to move Georgia forward.”
 
Stacey Abrams is a tireless champion for Georgia’s working families. Her parents, both ministers, taught her and her five siblings the importance of service early in life. She attended DeKalb County public schools and went on to earn degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and Yale Law School. Stacey has put her education to work for the state of Georgia as a dedicated public servant, an innovative nonprofit leader, and a successful small business owner. First elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2006, Stacey quickly established a reputation as a sharp expert on tax and legal issues, and as a fierce progressive willing to reach across the aisle to help working families. In 2010, she made history as the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly, and the first African American to lead in the House of Representatives. In 2014, EMILYs List honored Stacey with the first ever Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award — named after a woman who exemplifies everything exceptional about American public servants. Stacey is leading the charge to turn Georgia blue, and has worked strategically to recruit, train, elect, and defend Democrats to prevent a Republican supermajority in the House. She is committed to mobilizing voters of color by reaching out to those who too often go unheard and has committed to increasing the number of registered voters of color in the state.
 
Stacey puts the people of Georgia first and fights to increase economic opportunity for all. She has brokered compromises that led to progress on transportation, infrastructure, and education, and as governor she will work tirelessly to move Georgia forward for women and families. As co-founder of a financial services firm that helps small businesses grow, Stacey has helped create or retain thousands of jobs in Georgia. As a business-savvy governor, she will continue the fight to make Georgia a state where both families and businesses thrive. Stacey fights for all families’ economic security, and she recently passed legislation to improve the welfare of grandparents and other kin raising children, ensuring that they have a fair shot. As Minority Leader, she has stopped legislation that would have raised taxes on the poor and middle class and rolled back reproductive health care. Stacey fearlessly tackles the toughest problems facing working families, and she is committed to increasing access to affordable quality health care. “As a nation that prides itself on innovation and reinvention, we are honor-bound to find the right prescription,” she has said. Her many successful initiatives as a party leader include holding town hall meetings across the state. “We have to make sure we are constantly pushing an engaged democracy,” she has said. “People need to know we care.” As governor, she will continue to fight back against voter suppression, and she will fiercely defend all Georgians’ civil rights.