Stacey Abrams, expected to run for governor, plans ‘exploratory’ visit to Albany

ALBANY — While political pundits across the state have written Stacey Abrams’ presumed run for governor off as a foregone conclusion, the current state House Minority Leader has made no formal announcement to that effect.

But the Atlanta Democrat has been busy in recent weeks drumming up support for her expected campaign during “exploratory” visits to strategic locations throughout the state.

Abrams’ staff announced Thursday that she will be at Albany’s Chehaw park on June 3 from 3-5 p.m. for a meet-and-greet barbecue. The event is open to families, and free barbecue is available to attendees.

“As Stacey Abrams explores a run for governor and works toward a potential announcement, we are focusing on hearing from Georgians across the state about the kind of future they want to see,” Abrams campaign spokeswoman Priyanka Mantha said. “We plan to visit communities to talk about the power we have to create a stronger, brighter Georgia.

“South Georgia is going to be critical to that effort, and we look forward to our first stop of this conversation being in Albany.”

Abrams, who was elected to represent the 89th House District that includes parts of metro Atlanta, in 2010 became the first woman to lead either party in Georgia in the state General Assembly and the first African American to lead the Georgia House of Representatives when she became House minority leader. She founded the nonprofit New Georgia Project, which registered more than 200,000 new voters between 2014 and 2016.

Abrams was raised in Gulfport, Miss., and received degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas and the Yale Law School.

If, as expected, Abrams makes a formal announcement of a gubernatorial run, she will step down from her position as House minority leader. Rep. Winfred Dukes, an Albany Democrat, has already announced he plans to seek that position.

While a number of state Republicans have begun to jockey for position among GOP faithful in the state as current Gov. Nathan Deal’s second — and final — term plays out, Abrams is seen as the Democratic frontrunner. The House Minority Leader did find out Thursday, though, that she will have competition in her quest to wrest control of the executive office from Republican control.

Cobb County Rep. Stacey Evans announced Thursday that she had filed paperwork to run for governor.

“Every Georgian deserves that same chance to succeed that I had, that same opportunity to get ahead, and right now Georgia families don’t have that,” Evans, whose bio indicates she worked her way through college using the state’s HOPE scholarship, said in making the announcement. “For too long, the system has been tilted in favor of the rich and powerful. I am running to bring back hope to every single Georgia family.”

Evans, a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, has served in the state House since 2011.