Advisers for former Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign-in-waiting are debating whether to name failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as his running mate, a Thursday report says.
According to Axios, Biden aides believe adding Abrams to the ticket would send a strong signal to voters that he’s not “just another old white guy.” The outlet said Team Biden isn’t going all-in on picking the rising progressive star just yet, worrying that the move could be received as a “gimmick” and open the former Vice President up to a new line of attacks.
The report comes after the two high-profile Democrats met last week in Washington, D.C.
Abrams’ failed bid for the governor of Georgia against Republican Brian Kemp garnered her national attention. Despite losing to Kemp 50.2 percent to 48.8 percent, Abrams still refuses to concede the race, accusing her opponent of suppressing black voters to win what was one of the 2018 midterm elections’ most-watched races.
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. In a federal lawsuit against Georgia officials, the group accused the state of grossly mismanaging its election system.
Reports of Biden naming Abrams as his out-of-the-gate vice president choice also come as Biden is reaching out to big-money donors hoping to secure contributions ahead of officially entering the race. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the 76-year-old is concerned he may not be able to match the initial fundraising numbers of fellow 2020 candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former Rep. Beto O’Rouke (D-TX), who raised $5.9 million and $6.1 million, respectively.
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