Pummeled with attacks from Gov. Brian Kemp and his allies over her stance on public safety, Stacey Abrams has launched a new counteroffensive to reframe the narrative.
She filmed a direct-to-camera ad outlining her proposal to hike pay for certain law enforcement officers and her plan to reduce violent crime.
“Brian Kemp wants you to be afraid of me,” she said in the ad. “Why? Because he thinks it will distract Georgians from the truth.”
It closes: “Brian Kemp wants to bash me for my honesty and lie about my record, but my parents taught me to tell the whole story. And that’s the truth.”
Kemp’s campaign dismissed the ad, citing an interview with CNN where she indicated supporting shifting resources. The Democrat has said the quote was taken out of context.
“Unfortunately for the Abrams campaign, the tape doesn’t lie,” said Kemp spokesman Tate Mitchell. “No one forced Stacey Abrams to go on TV and say yes to defunding the police or made her profit from serving on the board of an anti-police, radical organization. This is a starring feature of Abrams’ far-left agenda for Georgia - not a bug.”
The ad wars escalate a feud between the bitter rivals over public safety initiatives. Abrams recently released a criminal justice platform that promoted reforms she pushed in 2018. And she unveiled plans for a salary hike of more than $10,000 for some officers and a revamp of police training.
Her ad Friday was accompanied by a series of glowing quotes from current and former law enforcement officials that included Charlie Bailey, a former prosecutor who is the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.
“We don’t need more guns on our streets – but Kemp’s criminal carry law is making us less safe by putting guns in the hands of lawbreakers,” Bailey said. “Only Stacey has a comprehensive plan to make us safer.”
Another voice of approval came from Douglas County District Attorney Dalia Racine, who said Abrams’ plan will give law enforcement the “resources to combat violent crime, hold offenders accountable and keep our communities safe.”
