Three Democrats endorsed by voting rights advocate and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams won runoffs for statewide office Tuesday.
The Associated Press reports Bee Nguyen defeated Dee Dawkins-Haigler in the Democratic race for secretary of state. Charlie Bailey beat Kwanza Hall in the party’s race for lieutenant governor, while state Rep. William Boddie Jr. beat Nicole Horn for the Democratic nod for labor commissioner.
All three winners were endorsed by Abrams and won by big margins giving her a racially diverse ticket for her November rematch with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
. Had any of them lost, Abrams would’ve been forced to campaign on the same ticket as a fellow Democrat she opposed.Democratic strategist Fred Hicks told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Abrams has “cemented herself as the unquestioned leader of the Democratic Party” with the “Stacey Sweep.”
“A loss in any of the three seats would have been spun as a sign of weakness and an inability to hold her caucus together,” Hicks said. “She took an incredible risk and now, with the Stacey Sweep, will reap great rewards. She will dictate the pace for the Democratic Party.”
After their wins, Abrams called the nominees “exemplary leaders who share a deep commitment to serving all Georgians.”
“While Republicans focus on extreme and reckless policies that put more guns on our streets, ban women’s access to reproductive health care and drive teachers from the classroom,” Abrams said, “Democrats will work together toward victory and lead Georgia to its next and greatest chapter.”
Additionally, two Republicans defeated members of their party endorsed by former President Donald Trump. In the tenth Congressional District, Mike Collins
defeated former Democrat Vernon Jones, and in the sixth District, Rich McCormick defeated Jake Evans.The losses by Jones and Evans, combined with the primary defeat of former Sen. David Perdue, is a bad look for the former president, who has made it a point to focus on the swing state that was paramount in him losing the 2020 Presidential Election.