On Wednesday, December 1st, the former Georgia House of Representatives minority leader and previous democratic gubernatorial candidate announced her run for governor. Abrams’ announcement ends speculation about her political future and sets-up a competitive rematch between her and incumbent Brian Kemp (R).

In 2018, Abrams narrowly lost to Kemp, attributing her defeat to an “erosion” of voting rights; she refused to concede the election, but acknowledged that Kemp would be certified as governor. Following her loss in 2018, the then-State House minority leader became a national figure and leading voting rights activist. She has been an outspoken critic of the nation-wide curbing of voting rights in numerous states, including Georgia, founding numerous non-profit advocacy groups.

Abrams announced her campaign in a video that showcased her voting rights work since 2018 and new pledges to fight for economic equality and an expansion to healthcare access. 

The 2022 election in Georgia will be a test of democrats’ momentum in Georgia. In local elections this year, democrats managed to flip 41 seats, while republicans only flipped 6. This election may also show President Joe Biden’s approval rating in Georgia, as midterm elections–elections in the middle of a president’s term–usually do not go well for the party in power. 

Kemp responded to the announcement with a warning that Abrams’ “far left agenda” was wrong for Georgia. According to “Savannah Now,” Kemp never stopped campaigning against Abrams. “When Major League Baseball pulled the All-Star Game out of Atlanta over his signing of Georgia’s controversial voting bill, he blamed Biden and Abrams by name,” the Georgia-based publication writes.

However, Kemp may not be the republican nominee. Former Georgia senator David Perdue, a Donald Trump-backed candidate who lost reelection in 2020, is reportedly considering running against Kemp in the primaries. Following Abrams’ announcement, Fox News host Sean Hannity told his audience on the Fox News channel that Kemp needs to “bow out” and make room for Perdue. At a rally on September 25th, Trump also suggested that his former voters should choose Abrams over Kemp. Former Georgia state representative Vernon Jones, a democrat-turned-republican, is also running against Kemp for the republican nomination.

No matter who is the republican nominee, the Georgia governor’s race will be very closely watched this year. With Abrams as the most high profile democrat running, she will almost definitely win the democratic primaries. If she were to win the election, Abrams would be the first black person and woman to reside in the Georgia governor’s mansion, and the first black woman governor of any state.