Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams slammed her Republican opponent, incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, in a statement in which she blamed her opponent for the cancellation of an annual music festival in Atlanta reportedly due to Georgia's permissible gun laws.
Earlier this year during his primary battle with Trump-backed David Perdue, Kemp had successfully pushed for legislation removing restrictions on carrying concealed weapons.
But the cancellation of Atlanta's Midtown Music Festival that was supposed to be held in Atlanta's Piedmont Park on September 17-18 was reportedly due to an earlier law allowing firearms in public places.
Event organizers wanted to avoid potential lawsuits for trying to ban firearms on festival grounds.
Known as the "guns everywhere" law, then-Republican Governor Nathan Deal signed the state's "Safe Carry Protection Act" in 2014.
It allowed licensed gun owners in the state to carry firearms in public, like bars, churches, and schools, that were previously off limits.
According to an exclusive statement provided to Fox News Digital, Abrams blasted Kemp for prioritizing Georgia's permissible gun laws and “endangering" the state economy.
She alleged the festival cancellation will cost the state $50 million over the loss of jobs and small businesses that rely on the annual music festival attended by tens of thousands of people.
"Brian Kemp is putting a dangerous agenda on guns ahead of Georgia's economy and growing jobs," said Abrams in the statement.
"Once again, Georgians' best interests are taking a backseat to Kemp's political ambitions—and our state is forced to pay the price at a rate of $50 million lost from our economy."
The voting rights activist—who is trying to unseat Kemp in November—continued:
"Georgians deserve leadership that will work hard to fight rising crime rates and implement common sense gun safety proposals while protecting our state's economic growth."
"Kemp may only think about the needs of his right-wing base, but as governor, I will work hard to protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians."
Live Nation Entertainment Inc.—the organizer of Midtown Music Festival—announced on Facebook the event was canceled “due to circumstances beyond our control."
An insider believed the reason for the cancellation was because Georgia's gun laws would not allow organizers to ban firearms on the premises.
Democratic House Minority Leader James Beverly said in a statement the festival was canceled “because artists don’t feel safe to perform in a state with senseless gun laws.”
Headliners at the event would have included My Chemical Romance, Future, Jack White and Fallout Boy.
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