Stacey Abrams: ‘Unlike Some Folks,’ I Didn’t Challenge the Outcome of the 2018 GA Governor’s Race

MADDOW When you so ░░░░░░░░ lost you famously were ░░░░░░░░ about the loss saying ░░░░░░░░ you didn t necessarily ░░░░░░░░ that it had been ░░░░░░░░ fair fight Stepping back ░░░░░░░░ a few years after ░░░░░░░░ and seeing what s ░░░░░░░░ within Georgia and around ░░░░░░░░ country around the issues ░░░░░░░░ fairness in elections how ░░░░░░░░ you feel about that ░░░░░░░░ looking back at it ░░░░░░░░ how do you want ░░░░░░░░ to understand how that ░░░░░░░░ affected the race the ░░░░░░░░ time ABRAMS In 2018 ░░░░░░░░ d spent more than ░░░░░░░░ year traveling the state ░░░░░░░░ I d also spent ░░░░░░░░ years 11 years in ░░░░░░░░ state legislature And I ░░░░░░░░ been working on voting ░░░░░░░░ since I was 17 ░░░░░░░░ d watched in fact ░░░░░░░░ d battled with the ░░░░░░░░ secretary of state over ░░░░░░░░ egregious and aggressive voter ░░░░░░░░ activities And on the ░░░░░░░░ on the 16th of ░░░░░░░░ when I acknowledged that ░░░░░░░░ would not become the ░░░░░░░░ that he had won ░░░░░░░░ election I did not ░░░░░░░░ the outcome of the ░░░░░░░░ unlike some recent folks ░░░░░░░░ What I said was ░░░░░░░░ the system was not ░░░░░░░░ And leaders challenge systems ░░░░░░░░ say We can do ░░░░░░░░ And that s what ░░░░░░░░ declared I could not ░░░░░░░░ good conscience say that ░░░░░░░░ order to protect my ░░░░░░░░ future I m going ░░░░░░░░ be silent about that ░░░░░░░░ present which is that ░░░░░░░░ had a system under ░░░░░░░░ leader that sought to ░░░░░░░░ people from casting their ░░░░░░░░ that threw those ballots ░░░░░░░░ that said that voter ░░░░░░░░ was a viable tactic ░░░░░░░░ winning elections I am ░░░░░░░░ proud of the work ░░░░░░░░ I ve been able ░░░░░░░░ do in the last ░░░░░░░░ years But even more ░░░░░░░░ m proud of the ░░░░░░░░ that Georgians have done ░░░░░░░░ demonstrate their capacity to ░░░░░░░░ their voices heard to ░░░░░░░░ in elections to change ░░░░░░░░ stars to change their ░░░░░░░░ And I could not ░░░░░░░░ prouder that I was ░░░░░░░░ of that by saying ░░░░░░░░ November 16th 2018 that ░░░░░░░░ time would be committed ░░░░░░░░ ensuring the protection of ░░░░░░░░ system defending our democracy ░░░░░░░░ ensuring access to the ░░░░░░░░ to vote.”