On March 14, Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams met with former vice-president Joe Biden in Washington, DC. While neither Abrams or Biden have ruled out a possible run for the White House, it is evident both are evaluating the possibilities.
If Biden, 76, is considering a presidential bid, some observers have said Abrams could effectively balance the ticket because. Abrams, 45, would bring a demographic and a wing of the Democratic Party that is energized and engaged coming off of her close loss in the Georgia gubernatorial race. She gave the party response to Trump’s State of the Union address Feb. 5.
Abrams initially said she would consider running for president no earlier than 2028. However, due to her rising popularity and growing profile, she could be a viable running mate. The Georgia Democrat has been courted by several presidential hopefuls, meeting with Sens. Corey Booker, D-N.J., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
“There certainly is a connectivity between that and other 2020 opportunities,” Abrams said, referring to “ephemeral” options like the vice presidency, something that “requires other people to make decisions about what they would like” versus deciding whether to run herself.
Biden endorsed Abrams in the Georgia governor’s race, although he did not travel to campaign on her behalf.
Abrams has also encouraged (and nudged) to run against Trump ally Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., in 2020 and has left the door open to a rematch against Kemp in 2022.
Abrams has told the Associated Press she would announce her Senate plans in April.
“My objective is to make sure I want to do that job. … I’d not thought about the Senate before,” she said, an allusion to her still-strong ambition to be governor after already having served as minority leader in the state House.
“The Senate is a different way to tackle the issues I see. It is a continuation of my legislative work, which I appreciated, but it’s an indirect solution to some of the challenges I see,” Abrams said, explaining a potential downside.
