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Abrams responds to Courier questions
Stacy Abrams
Democratic candidate for governor Stacey Abrams arrived in Hinesville Thursday during her statewide tour to discuss renewable energy and jobs. She spoke to supporters on the front steps of the Liberty County Justice Center, after a visit to Coastal Solar Power LLC. - photo by By Lawrence Dorsey

The Coastal Courier emailed field representatives of gubernatorial candidates Brian Kemp, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, and Democrat Stacey Abrams, questions about the candidates’ platforms and views. Abrams and her team responded Friday. Kemp held numerous rallies across the state Friday, including a stop in Hinesville. If and when Secretary Kemp and his team respond to the emailed questions, the Courier will run those answers.


Do you have any goals in mind regarding healthcare? 

 “Every Georgian, in all 159 counties, deserves access to quality, affordable health care. That means expanding Medicaid to keep rural hospitals open, supporting tele-health so Georgians can get access to the care they need, ensuring that current and potential health care professionals can gain the skills they need, and incentivizing those professionals to serve in rural Georgia. As governor, I am committed to serving all Georgians and ensuring they have the health care coverage they need to thrive.”


What needs to be done to improve public education in our state?

“Every child deserves access to an excellent public education, no matter who they are or where they live. Public education moved my parents out of poverty and allowed them to achieve progress and provide opportunity for their children. Through targeted investments in wraparound services, a commitment to keeping public dollars in public schools, and a modernized education funding formula, we can end the correlation between poverty and educational outcomes so that every student has the freedom and opportunity to thrive.”


If elected, would you be willing to reach across the aisle and work with legislators from a different party? How can we bring civility back to politics?

“As House Democratic leader, I was able to work across the aisle to deliver results on critical issues like education, transportation, and health care access. As governor, I will continue to work with anyone dedicated to building a better Georgia” 


Statements from Abigail Collazzo, Director of Strategic communications for Abrams:

Can you respond to allegations against your (Abrams’) opponent regarding purging voters from the rolls?

“These most recent voter suppression tactics are not going unchallenged. Democrats are standing up and fighting back against Brian Kemp’s unconscionable attempts to deny Georgians their fundamental rights. The Democratic Party Voter Protection Team is working around the clock to protect eligible Georgia voters’ rights and will fight tooth and nail so that every eligible ballot cast is a ballot counted. In the meantime, it’s clear that Brian Kemp cannot be trusted to protect our rights; he should resign his position immediately. Voters can contact the Democratic Party of Georgia Voter Protection Hotline at 1-888-730-5816.


“Stacey Abrams has been fighting Brian Kemp’s discriminatory exact-match registration system for years. Under her leadership, the New Georgia Project worked with several civil rights organizations, including the National Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, to successfully fight Brian Kemp in court over the practice. Kemp was forced to restore over 30,000 wrongfully canceled voters to the rolls. Unfortunately, now that Brian Kemp is finding himself in a tight race for Governor against Stacey Abrams, he is trying to deflect responsibility and deny accountability for the continued use of the exact match program, which is well known to disproportionately impact minority voters. It is clearer than ever that Brian Kemp cannot be trusted to oversee this election.”

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