Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia, declared during a debate with Kemp on Sunday night that 107 sheriffs had endorsed her opponent, incumbent Republican Brian Kemp, because they “want to be able to take black people off the streets.”
Kemp unveiled the mass endorsement of his reelection bid in November 2021, arguing at the time that "it has never been more dangerous to put on a uniform, and we've seen that during this once-in-a-century pandemic, civil unrest and the radical defund-the-police movement that continues to gain steam in Washington, D.C., and other liberal cities across the country."
"Despite being vilified by many, these men and women get up every day and put the uniform on and serve and protect us," he added.
The governor has characterized calls for defunding the police as “simply an insane idea.” Abrams has denied that she supports defunding law enforcement, but she serves as a leader in multiple organizations that do.
Earlier this month, Abrams said that she “supports law enforcement.” But on Sunday, Abrams opted for a more adversarial approach toward the state’s men and women in uniform.
After Kemp, speaking of the police, promised to “continue to have their back,” and after he touted the endorsement, Abrams replied, “As I have pointed out before, I am not a member of the ‘good ole boys’ club.”
“So no, I don't have 107 sheriffs who want to be able to take black people off the streets, who want to be able to go without accountability,” she continued.
At least one of Kemp’s endorsers, Sheriff Charles Davis of Quitman County, a Democrat — is black. Kemp has also been endorsed by the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police, the Police Benevolent Association of Georgia, and former Democratic governor Joe Frank Harris, who called Kemp a “proven leader.”
Kemp ascended to the top job in the state after beating Abrams by less than two percentage points in 2018, but he is expected to win by more in their rematch. He leads by nearly seven points in the FiveThirtyEight polling average of the race.
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