Stacey Abrams says she will not make bid for U.S. Senate — but her political journey is still open

By Megan Sims

·April 30, 2019

Former Georgia Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks at the National Action Network's annual convention, April 3, 2019 in New York City. A dozen 2020 Democratic presidential candidates will speak at the organization's convention this week. Founded by Rev. Al Sharpton in 1991, the National Action Network is one of the most influential African American organizations dedicated to civil rights in America. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

After much speculation, Democratic favorite Stacey Abrams announced on Tuesday that she would not be running for the U.S. Senate in the 2020 Georgia race, which leaves open the possibility that she may join the already large field of candidates for president.

For months, many wondered if Abrams would challenge Republican Sen. David Perdue in the next phase of her political journey, although she appreciated the consideration, she said, she did not want to run for the job just because she could.

“I’ve been deeply honored by so many fellow Georgians asking me to serve,” Abrams said. “But my responsibility is not simply to run because the job is available. I need to run because I want to do the job.”

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Georgia Senate race has been slow to develop while Abrams made her decision. The AJC also reported that so far one just one candidate, former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson, confirmed she would challenge Perdue, only if Abrams declined to run.

With Abrams announcing that she will be neutral in the Senate race, it has fueled speculation that she could still be considering a presidential campaign or even possibly leaving herself open to becoming a presidential hopeful’s running-mate. Following her narrow loss in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race to Brian Kemp, she has risen to national political popularity. Her appeal was only heightened after she delivered the Democratic Party’s rebuttal to the State of the Union.

Though Abram’s profile has been on the rise nationally, the AJC reports that a poll they conducted reveals that her favorability rating among Georgians has dipped showing her down from 52 percent favorability to 45 percent. Her unfavorability has also jumped from 40 to 45 percent.