Stacey Abrams and ilk hit another snag last Friday, as U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones upheld the state's voting law. "Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the [Voting Rights Act of 1965]," the judge said in a 288-page order, as highlighted by the Associated Press.
Abrams' group, known as Fair Fight Action, brought the lawsuit, which was also joined by Care in Action, and later by churches. "It was originally extremely broad and called for a significant overhaul of Georgia’s election system. By the time it got to trial, the scope had narrowed significantly after some allegations were resolved by changes in state law and others were dismissed by the court," the AP pointed out about the lawsuit's course.
The lawsuit was filed nearly four years ago, shortly after Abrams lost against now Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) in 2018. He had been serving as Georgia's secretary of state at the time, though the complaint was amended to reflect that current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in December 2020, as the Hill reported.
"This is a voting rights case that resulted in wins and losses for all parties over the course of the litigation and culminated in what is believed to have been the longest voting rights bench trial in the history of the Northern District of Georgia," the AP also quoted Judge Jones as saying.
That same day, Kemp from his campaign account tweeted out an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and celebrated how "Stacey Abrams and her organization lost in court - on all counts," calling out how she used the lawsuit.
Judge Jones’ ruling exposes this legal effort for what it really is: a tool wielded by a politician hoping to wrongfully weaponize the legal system to further her own political goals.
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) September 30, 2022
In Georgia, it is easy to vote and hard to cheat - and I’m going to continue working to keep it that way.
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) September 30, 2022
Kemp also appeared on the most recent episode of "Fox News Sunday," where host Shannon Bream brought up the case and asked the governor about Abrams' charges of voter suppression. Kemp reminded Bream that "Stacey Abrams and her group lost on every single count in that ruling Friday" and called it "sad that since day one she's used this whole process to line her pockets, sow distrust in democratic institutions and build her celebrity status in using the legal system for her own political gain, quite honestly."
The governor added that "thankfully Judge Jones made it clear to all Georgians and people around the country that in our state it's easy to vote and hard to cheat." He also went on to remind Bream that Abrams "is spinning that narrative," reminding how Georgia had record turnout in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, and of Abrams' hypocrisy on the MLB All-Star Game, which truly flies in the face of claims that their new election integrity law was "suppressive" and "Jim Crow 2.0."
The AP included a statement from Abrams. "While the Court’s actions are not the preferred outcome, the conduct of this trial and preceding cases and legislative actions represent a hard-won victory for voters who endured long lines, burdensome date of birth requirements and exact match laws that disproportionately impact Black and Brown voters," she said. Her lengthy Twitter thread was even more celebratory, and concluded with her using it to further campaign for herself.
The work over the last 10 years has been to advance fairness in our democracy that is not linked to ‘the status of minority life in Georgia.’ There's no denying voter suppression under Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger. This 288-page order spells out the cost of their actions. 2/
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) October 1, 2022
During this suit, more than 3,000 voters shared their stories, creating an unprecedented and lasting record of voter testimony, which highlighted the suppressive effects of the Secretary of State’s actions on vulnerable voters. 4/
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) October 1, 2022
As governor, I will expand the right to vote.. I will defend minority voters, not bemoan their increased power or grow ‘frustrated’ by their success. This case demonstrates that the 2022 election will be a referendum on how our state treats its most marginalized voices. 5/
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) October 1, 2022
The timing of this blow comes less than six weeks before the rematch election between Abrams and Kemp. Forecasts favor Kemp in his re-election campaign, regarding the race as "Lean Republican" or "Tilt Republican," and RealClearPolitics shows an average of a +6.6 lead for Kemp.
Abrams also found herself in the news for unflattering reasons the week prior, during which she claimed that "there is no such thing as a heartbeat at six weeks," and that it is "a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman's body."