Failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will not run for the U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who announced Wednesday that he will retire from politics at the end of the year due to health issues.
Abrams “will not be a candidate herself” for the seat which Isakson is leaving but remains committed to “helping Democratic candidates win both Senate races next year,” a spokesperson for the progressive darling told NBC News. Abrams’ announcement comes after revealing in April that she will not challenge Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) for his seat in 2020.
“I will not be a candidate for the United States Senate,” she said at the time. “The fights to be waged require a deep commitment to the job, and I do not see the U.S. Senate as the best role for me in this battle for our nation’s future.”
Isakson said in a statement he underwent surgery to remove a growth on his kidney this week and is still recovering from a July fall, which fractured four ribs. The Georgia Republican also suffers from Parkinson’s disease.
“I am leaving a job I love because my health challenges are taking their toll on me, my family, and my staff,” Isakson said. “With the mounting health challenges I am facing, I have concluded that I will not be able to do the job over the long term in the manner the citizens of Georgia deserve. It goes against every fiber of my being to leave in the middle of my Senate term, but I know it’s the right thing to do on behalf of my state.”
Earlier this year, Abrams met with several top Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), about a possible Senate run. Abrams has also toyed with a possible presidential campaign and has said it is possible she may mount a bid up until the fall despite missing two Democrat primary debates. Earlier this month, Abrams suggested she is “open” to being the running mate to “any” of the White House hopefuls running against President Donald Trump.
“I’ve just come to the decision that my best value add, the strongest contribution I can give to this primary, would be to make sure our nominee is coming into an environment where there’s strong voter protections in place,” Abrams told the New York Times.
“I would be honored to be considered by any nominee,” she added.
Despite losing her 2018 gubernatorial bid against Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), Abrams still refuses to concede the race, accusing her opponent of suppressing black voters to win — even though the state saw a double-digit black turnout surge compared to 2014. Abrams, who delivered the Democrat Party’s official response to President Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address, recently launched Fair Fight Action, a group aimed at combatting voter suppression.
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