Black folks sounded off on social media when Brian Kemp stepped down on Thursday from his secretary of state post in Georgia, the position that allowed him to both oversee and rig the election to help make himself governor.
Kemp said he resigned to start his transition to governor. But hold on: His race against Stacey Abrams hasn’t been called yet because of a possible pending recount.
See Also: ‘Dirty Tricks’: Stacey Abrams Voters Won’t Be Denied As Brian Kemp Rigs Voting Machines
Abrams, who was fighting to become the nation’s first Black woman governor, refused to concede the race; and for good reason. As of Thursday afternoon, Kemp had 50.3 percent of the vote. If he falls below the 50 percent threshold after all the votes have finally been tallied, Georgia law requires a recount. If the margin remains the same after that, there will be a run-off election next month.
Kemp defied calls to step down after he announced his bid for governor. It’s no wonder many were rolling their eyes at his announcement Thursday.
“It’s unfortunate that Brian Kemp did not step down months ago as Secretary of State to ensure that Georgia had a fair election,” the NAACP said in a statement Thursday. “Whether it’s malicious intent or benign neglect, Kemp’s actions during the election were textbook voter suppression and surely decreased voter confidence among residents in the state.”
Here’s what other folks had to say on Twitter.