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Stacey Abrams Needs ‘a Little Time’ to Decide If She’s Running

Stacey Abrams Needs ‘a Little Time’ to Decide If She’s Running

(Bloomberg) -- Former Georgia state legislator Stacey Abrams said she needs “a little time” to decide if she’ll once again answer the calls of people asking her to run for political office.

“I declare nothing,” Abrams, 45, said Wednesday at Bloomberg’s Business of Equality Summit in New York. “My responsibility is to make a choice that is grounded in my values and the ethic of doing the right thing.”

Abrams spoke while seated next to former Tallahassee, Florida Mayor Andrew Gillum, who like her narrowly lost a gubernatorial bid in November. “It’s about will I win it because I will work harder than anyone has to make sure that every voice in the state of Georgia is actually heard," Abrams said. "I think when that happens, no matter what I’m running for, we will be victorious.”

Last year, the Democrat became a national sensation in her race against Republican Brian Kemp, Georgia’s secretary of state at the time and the main overseer of the vote. At the end of the campaign, Abrams and her supporters alleged the election was mismanaged and votes were suppressed, especially among African Americans.

“There’s a system that’s in place to disenfranchise voters,” Abrams said.

Going forward, Abrams is weighing the responsibilities required if she were to run again for governor, or the U.S. senate or even president, she said. In recent weeks, her name has been floated for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was reportedly considering asking her to join his ticket, if he decided to run.

While reiterating a belief that President Donald Trump needs to be defeated, Abrams said serving as governor of a state such as Georgia is a position that can “change lives.”

Abrams is also the founder of Fair Fight Action, an organization aimed at creating more transparency and participation in elections. Regardless of whether she chooses to seek political office, Abrams said she’s going to continue her focus on reforming Georgia’s voting process.

“You shouldn’t run for an office just because an office is there," Abrams said. "You shouldn’t run for an office as a stepping stone to another office, and you should run when you are called to be the person to make that change.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Jordyn Holman in New York at jholman19@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: David E. Rovella at drovella@bloomberg.net

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