COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Alongside discussions of her own national political ambitions, former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams is wading into elections outside her home state, endorsing the campaigns of seven Democrats vying for U.S. Senate seats.
On Thursday, Abrams announced that she was backing Democratic candidates in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Mike Espy, a former Mississippi congressman and U.S. agriculture secretary, “is ready to lead on Day One,” Abrams said, while former state Sen. Cal Cunningham is Democrats’ best choice to succeed in North Carolina, “a must-win state for the U.S. Senate in 2020.”
Abrams, a 46-year-old lawyer and former state lawmaker who narrowly missed becoming the first black female governor in U.S. history, has emerged as a leading voting rights advocate and a frequently mentioned prospect for Joe Biden’s running mate.
Abrams previously endorsed another Senate candidate — the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who is challenging Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in Georgia — but the seven candidates announced Thursday are the first hopefuls she’s backing in a state other than her own.
