High hopes but tough road for black woman in governor’s race
ATLANTA — She’s a Yale-educated attorney and a romance novelist who served a decade in the Georgia Legislature. Now Stacey Abrams has gained a shot at becoming the first black woman elected governor in U.S. history.
Abrams, 44, easily won the Democratic nomination in Tuesday’s primary, and strong turnout among Democrats has fueled hopes she can take back the governor’s mansion in November in a state where Republicans hold every statewide office from U.S. senator to insurance commissioner.
“We are writing the next chapter of Georgia’s future, where no one is unseen, no one is unheard and no one is uninspired,” Abrams said in her victory speech late Tuesday after defeating fellow Democrat and former legislative colleague Stacey Evans.
Democrats see a potential window for victory in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Nathan Deal, but experts say it won’t happen without a hard fight.