'You're going to have a chance to do a do-over!' Stacey Abrams REFUSES to concede Georgia governor's race as she predicts absentee ballots will shrink Republican foe's lead enough to trigger December runoff

  • Stacy Abrams finished in second place in the George governor's race; apparent Republican victor Brian Kemp won barely enough votes to avoid a runoff
  • She refosed to concede in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, predicting that absentee ballots would grant her enough to trigger a runoff
  • Georgia requires gubernatorial candidates to get a majority of votes 
  • Donald Trump had boasted of Kemp's qualifications and questioned those of Abrams: 'If she gets in, Georgia goes backwards'
  • She said Sunday on 'Meet The Press' that she is 'the most qualified candidate,' as she invoked an endorsement from Barack Obama 
  • Trump told a Macon, Georgia, crowd on Sunday afternoon, 'Stacey Abrams is one of the most extreme far-left politicians in the entire country' 

A defiant Stacey Abrams refused to concede the Georgia governor's race early Wednesday morning, telling her Demorcatic supporters that despite trailing by about 3 percentage points she expected to come back enough to trigger a December runoff.

'You're going to have a chance to do a do-over,' she said, talking to voters in a state where nearly 3.8 million people cast votes in a contest that held the potential for her to be the first black female chief exective of a U.S. state.  

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican, led Abrams with 51 per cent of the vote to her 48 per cent. The state's election law calls for a runoff when no candidate wins an outright majority of votes. 

If Kemp's lead were 40,000 votes narrower, he would be beneath that threshold.  

'Votes remain to be counted,' Abrams said. 'There are voices waiting to be heard. Across our state folks are opening up the dreams of voters in absentee ballots, and we believe our chance for a stronger georgia is just within reach.'

Tens of thousands of absentee votes were mailed to Georgia election officials. 

'I promise you tonight we're going to make sure that every vote is counted. Every single vote! Every vote's getting counted!' she said. 

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams spoke to supporters about her expectations of a run-off during an election night watch party on Tuesday

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams spoke to supporters about her expectations of a run-off during an election night watch party on Tuesday

Abrams supporters cheered as she explained that she had no plan to concede the race; she would be the nation's first black female governor if she should prevail

Abrams supporters cheered as she explained that she had no plan to concede the race; she would be the nation's first black female governor if she should prevail

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp won 51 per cent of the vote, but tens of thousands of absentee ballots remain outstanding and they could be enough to shrink his lead to smaller than the simple majority needed to win outright

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp won 51 per cent of the vote, but tens of thousands of absentee ballots remain outstanding and they could be enough to shrink his lead to smaller than the simple majority needed to win outright

Kemp pulled ahead early in the state that traditionally supports Republicans and never seemed to lose momentum as he collected support from President Donald Trump.

Abrams had backing from Oprah Winfrey, Will Ferrell and Barack Obama, and turned much of the campaign into a referendum on voter suppression and hacking scandals linked to her Republican foe.

Kemp ran in lockstep with the president, who campaigned by his side on Sunday in Macon. Trump said that he would be a 'great executive' and Georgia would go 'backwards' if Abrams was elected.

Ugly race-based assaults on Abrams were flying around in the final days of the campaign, after a white nationalist group deployed robocalls mimicking Winfrey.  

A comment from the president calling Abrams' qualifications into question also ruffled feathers. She's a Yale-educated lawyer who served as the state's House minority leader.

Kemp was fending off attacks of his own after he made unfounded claims about an alleged hacking attempt he pinned on Georgia's Democratic Party. He also faced calls to resign as secretary of state from Abrams and others amid litigation over the state's implementation of voter identification law.  

President Trump made Georgia one of his last stops this week as he embarked on an 11 rally swing to battleground states across the nation.  

He claimed Sunday in Macon that Abrams wants to ax the Second Amendment and allow illegal immigrants to vote and hold political office. He portrayed the former romantic novelist and tax attorney as too radical for Georgia.

Trump said earlier in the week that Abrams is 'not qualified' to hold office 'by any stretch of the imagination.'

Abrams called the comments 'vapid and shallow' on a Sunday morning program.

Trump told a Macon, Georgia, crowd in the afternoon, 'Stacey Abrams is one of the most extreme far-left politicians in the entire country, you know that.'

Trump said  Stacey Abrams wants to ax the Second Amendment and allow illegal immigrants to vote and hold political office

Trump said Stacey Abrams wants to ax the Second Amendment and allow illegal immigrants to vote and hold political office

Trump told a Macon, Georgia, crowd in the afternoon, 'Stacey Abrams is one of the most extreme far-left politicians in the entire country'

Trump told a Macon, Georgia, crowd in the afternoon, 'Stacey Abrams is one of the most extreme far-left politicians in the entire country'

Macron, Georgia is Trump's latest stop ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday

Macron, Georgia is Trump's latest stop ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday

Abrams faced an uphill battle against Kemp in the state that Trump won by five points in 2016.

She pulled out all the stops, with Winfrey and Obama campaigning for her in the same week.

Trump said that the celebrity endorsements were unlikely to get Abrams elected, and he turned out to be right. He said that Kemp was simply the best-suited candidate.

'He studied for this job for a longtime. He will be a great executive, and he will keep Georgia on the path it is going, which is up,' Trump told reporters as he left the White House en route to his campaign rally with Kemp on Sunday.

Trump reiterated his belief that Abrams, who would have become the first black, female governor in the nation's history if she'd been victorious on Tuesday, is not fit for office.

'If she gets in, Georgia goes backwards,' Trump said. 'If he gets in, Georgia goes forward.'

Abrams, meanwhile, smacked Trump on Sunday as 'vapid and shallow' over his claim that she's 'unqualified' for statewide office. 

'I find his assessments to be vapid and shallow. I am the most qualified candidate,' she told 'Meet the Press' on NBC News. 'There is no one more qualified standing for this office in Georgia. And I look forward to having the voters of Georgia say the same.'

Abrams said that the GOP was attacking her credentials, because they're running 'scared' in the statewide election.

But in Macon, the president offered a host of reasons why Abrams' positions are too far to the left for Georgia and she shouldn't be promoted.

He said the Second Amendment is 'under siege’ and ‘Stacey and her friends will get rid of it.'

‘Please give us all guns right now,’ he said, doing an impression of Democrats. 'She supports a socialist take over of healthcare, which means you will never be able to see your doctor.'

He used the healthcare jab to as a segue into a slap at Obama, who has hit the trail hard in the final days of the midterms to campaign for Democrats.

'And just like President Obama — I’m going to be very nice, did not tell the truth,' he said. 'Keep your doctor, you can keep your plan, he said it 28 times,' Trump said. 'You put Stacey in there, and you're gonna have Georgia turn into Venezuela. And I don’t think the people of Georgia like that.'

Laying into Abrams, he said, 'I spoke to law enforcement, I spoke to everybody [she] is really weak on crime, really weak on crime. That’s not what you need. She wants to end the death penalty for even the most vicious and ruthless killers.'

'She even, listen to this, voted to allow illegal aliens to hold public office,' he said.

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, poised to become the first black woman in the governor's mansion if she's victorious on Tuesday, smacked President Trump as 'vapid and shallow' over his claim that she's 'unqualified' for office

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, poised to become the first black woman in the governor's mansion if she's victorious on Tuesday, smacked President Trump as 'vapid and shallow' over his claim that she's 'unqualified' for office

Trump assessed in front of reporters at the White House on Thursday that she's not 'qualified' for the job but didn't say why believes that. He's seen here on Saturday in Belgrade, Montana

Trump assessed in front of reporters at the White House on Thursday that she's not 'qualified' for the job but didn't say why believes that. He's seen here on Saturday in Belgrade, Montana

The president's comments about Abrams and Kemp and their qualifications came as the Georgia secretary of state's office launched an investigation into the state's Democratic Party, just two days before voters had to decide between him and Abrams.

Kemp, the Georgia secretary of state, has claimed the Democratic Party of Georgia attempted to hack the state's voter registration system — yet  provided no evidence to support the charge. The secretary of state's office refused to supply any details, as well, and the Democratic Party denied the unverified allegation. 

Abrams had previously called on Kemp to resign as secretary of state over alleged voter suppression tactics that have made it more difficult for African-American voters to cast ballots.

Abrams, who is neck-and-neck against Kemp in the polls, has called the claim a 'desperate ploy' to distract voters before Election Day

Abrams, who is neck-and-neck against Kemp in the polls, has called the claim a 'desperate ploy' to distract voters before Election Day

'He is desperate to turn the conversation away from his failures, from his refusal to honor his commitments, and from the fact that he's part of a nationwide system of voter suppression that will not work in this election,' she said on Sunday.

Georgia is litigating its voter identification rules requiring information to be a precise match to the Social Security Administration's listing for an individual to cast a ballot in the mid-term election.

A federal judge in an injunction on Friday said that Georgia must ease up on the rules that bar individuals from casting a ballot if there's even a slight variation, caused sometimes by a data entry problem, such as a missing hyphen or spelling error. 

Georgians who show proof of citizenship must be allowed to vote on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Eleanor L. Ross said.

Kemp's office says it has already been living up to that standard in early voting. 

The race was in a dead heat leading into Election Day, with Kemp up by a single point in the Real Clear Politics average. An Atlanta Journal Constitution poll had the race tied.

Star power has put a national spotlight on the contest, with Will Ferrell, Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama flocking to the state to help Abrams. Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in Georgia last week for Kemp.

Winfrey in her appearance on Thursday recounted the history of voter suppression as she urged African-Americans to go to the polls on Election Day.

'I'm here today I'm here for the men who were lynched and humiliated and discriminated against and suppressed,' she said. 'For anybody here who has an ancestor who didn't have the right to vote and you are choosing not to vote wherever you are in this state or this country, you are dishonoring your family.'

Obama said in a barn-burning speech at Morehouse, a Historically Black College and University, that that the other side is 'trying to scare you with all sorts of bogeymen, trying to scare you with all kinds of divisive issues.'

He accused Republicans of 'repeated, constant, incessant, nonstop attempts to divide us.'

The former minority leader of the Georgia House and Yale Law School graduate noted on NBC's Meet the Press (pictured that she's a former civic leader and a tax attorney

The former minority leader of the Georgia House and Yale Law School graduate noted on NBC's Meet the Press (pictured that she's a former civic leader and a tax attorney

President Trump is rallying Republicans in the state this afternoon for candidate Brain Kemp. Pictured: Kemp speaks as Abrams look on during a debate in Atlanta, October 2018

President Trump is rallying Republicans in the state this afternoon for candidate Brain Kemp. Pictured: Kemp speaks as Abrams look on during a debate in Atlanta, October 2018

The former president went after Kemp's office specifically for 'trying to disenfranchise people and take away the right to vote' and took a dig at the Republican candidate for bailing on Sunday evening's debate to campaign with the president.

'What is he afraid of?' Obama asked. 'He's afraid of Stacey, I guess.'

President Trump was rallying Republicans in the state on Sunday afternoon at his first of two back-to-back events less than 48 hours before the polls open nationwide.

In Georgia, early voting began in the middle of October and ended on November 2. More than two million people cast ballots in that time frame, according to the Georgia Secretary of State's office. 

A white nationalist group that had been targeting another African-American gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum, in Florida, started running robocalls in Georgia on Friday impersonating Winfrey and making racist and anti-Semitic claims in an effort to hurt Abrams' candidacy.

Abrams' strategic communications coordinator, Abigail Collazo, linked the hateful calls to Trump's visit to Georgia, saying in a statement provided to CNN, 'These automated calls are being sent into homes just days before President Trump arrives, reminding voters exactly who is promoting a political climate that celebrates this kind of vile, poisonous thinking.'

'Over the last few weeks we've seen increasing desperation from many dark corners trying to steal the election, cheat, lie, and prey on people's fears rather than having the respect to listen to voters and speak to their hopes,' she said.

Trump said that Gillum is 'not equipped' to be governor during a Saturday night rally in Pensacola. He didn't say why he believes the Tallahassee mayor does not have the qualifications to lead the state, although he has attacked Gillum on Twitter for alleged ethics violations.

Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama headlined events for Abrams in Georgia on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Pictured: Winfrey and Abrams greet the audience at a town hall style event at the Cobb Civic Center on Thursday in Marietta, Georgia

Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama headlined events for Abrams in Georgia on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Pictured: Winfrey and Abrams greet the audience at a town hall style event at the Cobb Civic Center on Thursday in Marietta, Georgia

Trump assessed in front of reporters at the White House on Thursday that Abrans is not 'qualified' for the job in Georgia but didn't say why he believes that.

'I've always liked Oprah. You know, Oprah is good. But the woman that she's supporting is not qualified to be the governor of Georgia, by any stretch of the imagination,' he asserted. 'And I think Brian is going to be a great governor of Georgia. I think he'll be a fantastic governor. He's totally qualified.'

Obama argued on Saturday that Abrams is the 'most experienced, most qualified' candidate in the race.

'As President Obama pointed out, I am the most qualified candidate running, if you look at both my academic background, my work history,' Abrams said Sunday, echoing the former president on CNN. 'I have been deputy city attorney. I was the Democratic leader for seven years. I have been successful as a businesswoman, as a writer, and as a tax attorney.'

She added: 'I know what I'm talking about, and I have the plans to prove it.'

Trump ignored a question from the pool as he boarded Air Force One for Macon about his diss on Abrams. He told reporters at the White House, however, that Kemp is 'running a great campaign' and he's 'studied for this job for a long time' as he fielded questions before his departure.

The president said that he has no knowledge of the hacking incident outlined by Kemp's office, and when asked if he believes there was voter suppression in Georgia, he said he did not.

'A lot of people are voting, and I think a lot of Republicans are voting because they want to see Georgia go forward, not go backward,' he said. 'If she gets in, Georgia is going backward. If he gets in, Georgia goes forward. And that's what people want.'

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