Republican group launches ‘Stop Stacey’ committee in anticipation of Abrams 2022 Georgia gubernatorial run
Ms Abrams has not indicated she plans to run for governor of the state
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Your support makes all the difference.A group of Republicans in Georgia has launched a campaign to preemptively counter former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in the event she decides to run against Governor Brian Kemp in 2022.
The "Stop Stacey" committee said it would work to "prevent a complete left-wing takeover of Georgia".
The campaign is headed by a former Kelly Loeffler staffer and a Republican strategist and ally of Mr Kemp.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the group's intentions.
"After losing the White House and United States Senate in 2020, grassroots Republicans across Georgia and America are standing together to stop radical Stacey Abrams," Jeremy Brand, the strategist, said.
The group told Fox News it has already raised six figured in its initial funding, but wanted to outmatch Ms Abram's own fundraising network.
"We will do whatever it takes to expose Stacey Abrams' radical network, highlight her dangerous agenda, and ultimately defeat her – and her left-wing candidates – at the ballot box," Mr Brand said.
Ms Abrams was credited as a major driver of liberal voter turnout that saw Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock oust incumbent Republican Sens. David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively.
After losing to Mr Kemp by only 55,000 votes, Ms Abrams began fighting to overcome voter suppression policies, specifically by helping new voters register.
A spokesperson for the New Georgia Project, Nsé Ufot, said Ms Abrams was critically important to the election outcomes in that state.
"Stacey has tirelessly worked to get Joe Biden and the Democratic National Convention to pay attention to Georgia, spending years organising and strategising to make sure Georgians have their voices heard at the polls," she said.
Republicans fear Mr Kemp is especially vulnerable after Donald Trump questioned his loyalty and held him responsible for the state going to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
Mr Trump incorrectly claimed that there was massive voter fraud in Georgia, despite state Republican election officials insisting the election was legitimate.
A new poll from the state suggests more than half of surveyed Georgians disapprove of Mr Kemp's performance. In a similar poll, it was found that the same number – 51 per cent – of people surveyed voters hold favourable views of Ms Abrams.
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