All eyes were on the state of Georgia for the gubernatorial election in the 2018 midterms. Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, stood a chance at defeating then-Secretary of State, Republican Brian Kemp, paving the way for her to become the first Black woman governor anywhere in the United States.
Because Kemp was Secretary of State, however, he was essentially permitted to oversee his own election. His office purged hundreds of thousands of voters in communities that heavily supported Abrams from the rolls without notification, dashing their chances to vote.
Abrams lost by only a few thousand votes. Kemp ascended to the governor's mansion despite evidence that he'd used his position as secretary to undermine the voting rights of Georgians and assure himself a victory.
Two years later, Kemp is at it again.
This time, he's set his sights on a Georgia Supreme Court seat that will soon be left open with the retirement of Justice Keith Blackwell, who announced in late February that he'd be retiring on November 18—just a few weeks before his six year term came to an end.
Though candidates had already filed paperwork to run for Blackwell's seat on the state's highest court, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger cancelled the election—originally scheduled for May 19—paving the way for Kemp to appoint a Republican justice who would serve on the state's highest court for the rest of Kemp's first term.
Kemp made the announcement in mid-March, and—despite valid arguments against the constitutionality of the move—the decision was upheld in the state Supreme Court by judges who stepped in after five of the Georgia Supreme Court justices recused themselves.
That's why there was no election in Georgia on Tuesday—and why people are livid at Kemp denying Democracy to Georgians yet again.
Then again, voter suppression and subversion of democracy is par for the course for Republican election strategies.
Votes aren't the only numbers Kemp is willing to fudge. His office apologized for misleading numbers regarding the virus this past week.
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