April 24, 2020 - Stacey Abrams Makes the Case for Being Biden’s Running Mate


Former Georgia state legislator and 2018 gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams (D-GA) has been direct in response to questions about her interest in and qualifications for becoming Biden’s presidential running mate. In an interview with Elle, Abrams tells Melissa Harris-Perry, “I would be an excellent running mate.” In an interview with The Atlantic, Abrams touts her own record of electoral success and appeal, noting, “If you look at what we were able to accomplish in Georgia, the growth of the numbers and the composition of the voters, I would put my capacity to win an election as the VP running mate alongside anyone’s.” She speaks even more directly about the value of being both transparent about and proud of her interest and qualifications: “I know where I sit in the space, and it is disingenuous and a disservice to women, to people of color, and to women of color for me to be dismissive of or coy about where I would like to serve. It is my version of ‘You can’t be what you cannot see, and people won’t reach for things they don’t believe are possible.’ But that’s not the same as telling the VP who he should pick. My job is to do the work I know how to do.” The same Atlantic profile cites Abrams’ “strategic interviews” with Pod Save America and Elle, a New York Times op-ed by supporters backing her bid, and an appearance on The View in which she said she thought Biden would be smart to pick a woman of color. While some were critical of Abrams’ “ambition,” implying she is either not qualified enough to be the vice presidential nominee or too overt in making the case that she should be the nominee, many noted the sexism and racism inherent in those critiques and the importance of her challenging racial, gender, and intersectional doubts about her capacity to lead at the highest level and her ability to win support from a diverse coalition of voters.