Stacey Abrams, one of the shining new stars in the Democratic Party’s constellation, could join the field of candidates seeking to push President Trump out of office in 2020. If Abrams enters the race, she would all but be a favorite among Black women who are ready to leverage their political strength.
See Also: With Stacey Abrams, Democrats Look For Black Women To Save Them, Again
Abrams, who made a historic run for Georgia governor in 2018, previously said she was not interested in running for president. However, in a tweet on Monday, Abrams opened the door for a 2020 bid.
“I never thought I’d be ready to run for POTUS before 2028. But life comes at you fast – as I shared in Q&A w @Yamiche at @sxsw. Now 2020 is definitely on the table…,” she said.
The tweet was a clarification of comments she made in an interview earlier that day at SXSW in Austin, Texas, in which she referred to a spreadsheet that she uses to document her goals, Politico said.
“In the spreadsheet with all the jobs I wanted to do, 2028 would be the earliest I would be ready to stand for president because I would have done the work I thought necessary to be effective in that job,” Abrams said in the interview.
Her tweet was intended to clarify that she hasn’t ruled out a 2020 run.
That was probably music to the ears of a group of Black women who hosted a presidential forum in Washington over the weekend. The group discussed strategies for recruiting strong Black women candidates to run for a range of political offices. They recognize the influence Black women voters have had in recent elections and planned to use their strength to help women of color get elected in upcoming elections.
“There’s never been a moment for women of color in politics like there is now,” said Aimee Allison, president and founder of She the People, a national network. “It’s kind of like there’s a big awakening.”
Democrats have called Black women the backbone of the party and have relied on them before to help save the party. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez has sung the praises of Black women as an important voting bloc in the party.
“Let me be clear: We won in Alabama and Virginia because Black women led us to victory. Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party, and we can’t take that for granted. Period,” he told The Washington Post in 2017 after big election wins in those two states.
Although Abrams fell short of winning the governorship–in a contest that was plagued with voter suppression targeting African-Americans–her future looks bright.
In January, Democratic Party leaders picked her to deliver their response to Trump’s State of the Union address. She was quite presidential.
SEE ALSO:
What’s Next For Stacey Abrams And Andrew Gillum? Fallen Candidates Hint At Political Futures
Democrats Investigate Brian Kemp’s Jim Crow Voter Suppression Tactics Ahead Of 2020 Elections
