Stacey Abrams I think ░░░░░░░░ intentionally defunded the census ░░░░░░░░ created confusion because that ░░░░░░░░ does not respect the ░░░░░░░░ of what makes America ░░░░░░░░ Former Georgia House Democratic ░░░░░░░░ Stacey Abrams ran for ░░░░░░░░ last year in a ░░░░░░░░ contested and controversial race ░░░░░░░░ she lost It s ░░░░░░░░ that would have crippled ░░░░░░░░ candidates but not for ░░░░░░░░ Abrams You ve still ░░░░░░░░ conceded and you talk ░░░░░░░░ it and you say ░░░░░░░░ admits defeat and that ░░░░░░░░ not what you re ░░░░░░░░ to do Can you ░░░░░░░░ about what does defeat ░░░░░░░░ to you and why ░░░░░░░░ re still not willing ░░░░░░░░ concede Stacey Abrams So ░░░░░░░░ issue is concession in ░░░░░░░░ political space is an ░░░░░░░░ that the process was ░░░░░░░░ And I don t ░░░░░░░░ that to be so ░░░░░░░░ ve talked to hundreds ░░░░░░░░ people who ve had ░░░░░░░░ about how they were ░░░░░░░░ the right to vote ░░░░░░░░ it was made difficult ░░░░░░░░ them to speak in ░░░░░░░░ democracy But more than ░░░░░░░░ I understand that it ░░░░░░░░ not just about me ░░░░░░░░ elections are about politicians ░░░░░░░░ s one and done ░░░░░░░░ you win you lose ░░░░░░░░ move on But when ░░░░░░░░ remember that elections are ░░░░░░░░ people that it s ░░░░░░░░ a question of what ░░░░░░░░ got it s a ░░░░░░░░ of what people were ░░░░░░░░ for then my responsibility ░░░░░░░░ not to make my ░░░░░░░░ easier by doing the ░░░░░░░░ that politicians are taught ░░░░░░░░ do My responsibility is ░░░░░░░░ acknowledge the legal sufficiency ░░░░░░░░ the election I didn ░░░░░░░░ challenge that But I ░░░░░░░░ the system that permitted ░░░░░░░░ Secretary of State to ░░░░░░░░ his own election and ░░░░░░░░ architect a voter suppression ░░░░░░░░ that is the scourge ░░░░░░░░ the nation My responsibility ░░░░░░░░ it comes to fair ░░░░░░░░ is to ensure that ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration is not ░░░░░░░░ to erase people from ░░░░░░░░ state and not allowed ░░░░░░░░ diminish the importance of ░░░░░░░░ men in our communities ░░░░░░░░ you started this nonprofit ░░░░░░░░ Count Why is this ░░░░░░░░ thing that you feel ░░░░░░░░ your next step Stacey ░░░░░░░░ In the wake of ░░░░░░░░ election I certainly was ░░░░░░░░ sad depressed angry I ░░░░░░░░ to manage my emotions ░░░░░░░░ turn them into action ░░░░░░░░ I thought about what ░░░░░░░░ two of the things ░░░░░░░░ would focus on had ░░░░░░░░ won what would I ░░░░░░░░ done One was preserving ░░░░░░░░ expanding electoral integrity but ░░░░░░░░ other was making sure ░░░░░░░░ every citizen was counted ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ would almost seem as ░░░░░░░░ it s like a ░░░░░░░░ purpose right You could ░░░░░░░░ potentially and been governing ░░░░░░░░ state but now you ░░░░░░░░ affecting people nationwide Stacey ░░░░░░░░ I recognize that you ░░░░░░░░ t have to have ░░░░░░░░ title to do the ░░░░░░░░ And for me the ░░░░░░░░ of Fair Count is ░░░░░░░░ ensure that we do ░░░░░░░░ erase any community from ░░░░░░░░ narrative of America That ░░░░░░░░ understand that not only ░░░░░░░░ their voices count through ░░░░░░░░ votes but their actual ░░░░░░░░ should count in the ░░░░░░░░ And data was showing ░░░░░░░░ 2024 in Georgia it ░░░░░░░░ be kind of up ░░░░░░░░ grabs between Democrats and ░░░░░░░░ You basically moved that ░░░░░░░░ six years What changed ░░░░░░░░ Abrams Nothing changed I ░░░░░░░░ say this Demography is ░░░░░░░░ destiny It s opportunity ░░░░░░░░ what I saw as ░░░░░░░░ democratic leader what I ░░░░░░░░ as a citizen what ░░░░░░░░ saw as someone who ░░░░░░░░ read and understands numbers ░░░░░░░░ that the potential was ░░░░░░░░ but you had to ░░░░░░░░ a candidate who was ░░░░░░░░ to invest in that ░░░░░░░░ My investment in Fair ░░░░░░░░ my investment in my ░░░░░░░░ my investment in the ░░░░░░░░ work of Fair Fight ░░░░░░░░ all grounded in the ░░░░░░░░ that I can count ░░░░░░░░ I know that if ░░░░░░░░ do our work the ░░░░░░░░ that is Georgia will ░░░░░░░░ to fruition and the ░░░░░░░░ will be shared amongst ░░░░░░░░ who s here When ░░░░░░░░ talk about winning a ░░░░░░░░ of Democrats in this ░░░░░░░░ and even nationally they ░░░░░░░░ also say that you ░░░░░░░░ run for one of ░░░░░░░░ two contested Senate seats ░░░░░░░░ Abrams There are two ░░░░░░░░ I m not running ░░░░░░░░ the Senate Number one ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ appreciate the importance of ░░░░░░░░ deliberative bodies but my ░░░░░░░░ my energy is in ░░░░░░░░ It s why I ░░░░░░░░ started nonprofits and for ░░░░░░░░ companies I like being ░░░░░░░░ there executing and pushing ░░░░░░░░ forward And so the ░░░░░░░░ of the Senate is ░░░░░░░░ and I believe that ░░░░░░░░ have to win those ░░░░░░░░ but I don t ░░░░░░░░ to be the person ░░░░░░░░ do it And that ░░░░░░░░ to point number two ░░░░░░░░ playbook that we put ░░░░░░░░ in 2018 the Abrams ░░░░░░░░ of how you can ░░░░░░░░ works for anyone willing ░░░░░░░░ do the work What ░░░░░░░░ did was transform the ░░░░░░░░ Prove that it s ░░░░░░░░ And I believe that ░░░░░░░░ candidate who is willing ░░░░░░░░ be authentic and intentional ░░░░░░░░ invest in every vote ░░░░░░░░ we can have a ░░░░░░░░ win both seats in ░░░░░░░░ Jon Ossoff just entered ░░░░░░░░ race Would you endorse ░░░░░░░░ Stacey Abrams I m ░░░░░░░░ going to endorse in ░░░░░░░░ primary As far as ░░░░░░░░ can tell right now ░░░░░░░░ have a solid crop ░░░░░░░░ candidates I m friends ░░░░░░░░ a number of them ░░░░░░░░ I believe that the ░░░░░░░░ to victory is going ░░░░░░░░ be borne out by ░░░░░░░░ they run their races ░░░░░░░░ want to see what ░░░░░░░░ do I m going ░░░░░░░░ certainly raise my voice ░░░░░░░░ I think they re ░░░░░░░░ in the wrong direction ░░░░░░░░ I have no intention ░░░░░░░░ endorsing at this moment ░░░░░░░░ for someone who may ░░░░░░░░ if you were to ░░░░░░░░ for Senate and win ░░░░░░░░ potentially affect the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ And that s a ░░░░░░░░ deal Would that weigh ░░░░░░░░ on you at all ░░░░░░░░ that doesn t go ░░░░░░░░ way or Democrats don ░░░░░░░░ win and you could ░░░░░░░░ potentially had that seat ░░░░░░░░ Abrams If I were ░░░░░░░░ at home doing nothing ░░░░░░░░ licking my wounds or ░░░░░░░░ about tomorrow then I ░░░░░░░░ feel some responsibility But ░░░░░░░░ s not what I ░░░░░░░░ doing My responsibility is ░░░░░░░░ ensure that someone takes ░░░░░░░░ Senate seat and I ░░░░░░░░ going to do everything ░░░░░░░░ my power to make ░░░░░░░░ so I m going ░░░░░░░░ help the candidates who ░░░░░░░░ our nominees in the ░░░░░░░░ Senate seat and I ░░░░░░░░ going to make certain ░░░░░░░░ the presidential nominee gets ░░░░░░░░ support and I m ░░░░░░░░ to help make certain ░░░░░░░░ is in the Jungle ░░░░░░░░ for the Isaacson seat ░░░░░░░░ the support that he ░░░░░░░░ she needs But most ░░░░░░░░ I am never going ░░░░░░░░ take my eye off ░░░░░░░░ ball which is making ░░░░░░░░ that the voices of ░░░░░░░░ the voices of Americans ░░░░░░░░ heard in our elections ░░░░░░░░ that what they respect ░░░░░░░░ what they expect becomes ░░░░░░░░ Well thank you for ░░░░░░░░ I appreciate this conversation ░░░░░░░░ look forward to following ░░░░░░░░ Fair Count does in ░░░░░░░░ future Stacey Abrams Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much.