Georgia's GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp is facing scrutiny for raising concerns about his progressive challenger's efforts to mobilize voters in response to his efforts to kick state residents off the rolls. (Photo: Todd Rehm/Facebook)
Leaked Audio of Georgia Candidate "Tells You Everything You Need to Know About Republicans' Views on Voting Rights"
"Brian Kemp is barely trying to hide the shameful fact that his strategy is to win through voter suppression," charges his opponent's campaign
"This tells you everything you need to know about Republicans' views on voting rights."
"The idea that he, as Secretary of State, would be 'concerned' that hardworking Georgians are exercising their right to vote is disgraceful and outrageous."
--Abigail Collazo, Abrams campaign
That's how the women's rights group UltraViolet responded on Tuesday to leaked audio of Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp--currently under fire for spearheading voter suppression efforts as he also runs for governor of the state--saying that the get-out-the-vote operation of his Democratic challenger "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote."
In the 21-minute recording of Kemp's remarks at a closed-door campaign event in Atlanta on Friday, obtained by Rolling Stone, he expressed concerns about Stacey Abrams's voter turnout mobilization, which has ramped up in response to Kemp suspending more than 53,000 voting registrations--mostly of black voters--and purging 107,000 more from the rolls.
Suggesting that Abrams is especially focused on absentee ballot requests, Kemp said, "They have just an unprecedented number of that... which is something that continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote--which they absolutely can--and mail those ballots in, we gotta have heavy turnout to offset that."
Asked to comment on his remarks, Abigail Collazo, director of strategic communications for the Abrams campaign, told Rolling Stone: "Brian Kemp is barely trying to hide the shameful fact that his strategy is to win through voter suppression."
"The idea that he, as Secretary of State, would be 'concerned' that hardworking Georgians are exercising their right to vote is disgraceful and outrageous," she said. "Brian Kemp should resign immediately so that Georgians can be sure the election will be administered in an impartial and competent manner."
Rolling Stone's reporting sparked immediate outrage and fueled sharp critiques of Kemp's contributions to nationwide efforts by Republican officials to impose measures that make it harder to vote and which often disproportionately impact people of color and those with lower incomes.
"These remarks from any candidate for office would be appalling, but for them to come from a Secretary of State who oversees voting is especially disturbing," said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Chad Griffin. "[Kemp] has no place serving as Secretary of State, Governor, or in any public office."
"People making their voices heard is what democracy in this country is all about--we should not be making it harder to vote," tweeted Our Revolution.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
"This tells you everything you need to know about Republicans' views on voting rights."
"The idea that he, as Secretary of State, would be 'concerned' that hardworking Georgians are exercising their right to vote is disgraceful and outrageous."
--Abigail Collazo, Abrams campaign
That's how the women's rights group UltraViolet responded on Tuesday to leaked audio of Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp--currently under fire for spearheading voter suppression efforts as he also runs for governor of the state--saying that the get-out-the-vote operation of his Democratic challenger "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote."
In the 21-minute recording of Kemp's remarks at a closed-door campaign event in Atlanta on Friday, obtained by Rolling Stone, he expressed concerns about Stacey Abrams's voter turnout mobilization, which has ramped up in response to Kemp suspending more than 53,000 voting registrations--mostly of black voters--and purging 107,000 more from the rolls.
Suggesting that Abrams is especially focused on absentee ballot requests, Kemp said, "They have just an unprecedented number of that... which is something that continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote--which they absolutely can--and mail those ballots in, we gotta have heavy turnout to offset that."
Asked to comment on his remarks, Abigail Collazo, director of strategic communications for the Abrams campaign, told Rolling Stone: "Brian Kemp is barely trying to hide the shameful fact that his strategy is to win through voter suppression."
"The idea that he, as Secretary of State, would be 'concerned' that hardworking Georgians are exercising their right to vote is disgraceful and outrageous," she said. "Brian Kemp should resign immediately so that Georgians can be sure the election will be administered in an impartial and competent manner."
Rolling Stone's reporting sparked immediate outrage and fueled sharp critiques of Kemp's contributions to nationwide efforts by Republican officials to impose measures that make it harder to vote and which often disproportionately impact people of color and those with lower incomes.
"These remarks from any candidate for office would be appalling, but for them to come from a Secretary of State who oversees voting is especially disturbing," said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Chad Griffin. "[Kemp] has no place serving as Secretary of State, Governor, or in any public office."
"People making their voices heard is what democracy in this country is all about--we should not be making it harder to vote," tweeted Our Revolution.
"This tells you everything you need to know about Republicans' views on voting rights."
"The idea that he, as Secretary of State, would be 'concerned' that hardworking Georgians are exercising their right to vote is disgraceful and outrageous."
--Abigail Collazo, Abrams campaign
That's how the women's rights group UltraViolet responded on Tuesday to leaked audio of Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp--currently under fire for spearheading voter suppression efforts as he also runs for governor of the state--saying that the get-out-the-vote operation of his Democratic challenger "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote."
In the 21-minute recording of Kemp's remarks at a closed-door campaign event in Atlanta on Friday, obtained by Rolling Stone, he expressed concerns about Stacey Abrams's voter turnout mobilization, which has ramped up in response to Kemp suspending more than 53,000 voting registrations--mostly of black voters--and purging 107,000 more from the rolls.
Suggesting that Abrams is especially focused on absentee ballot requests, Kemp said, "They have just an unprecedented number of that... which is something that continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote--which they absolutely can--and mail those ballots in, we gotta have heavy turnout to offset that."
Asked to comment on his remarks, Abigail Collazo, director of strategic communications for the Abrams campaign, told Rolling Stone: "Brian Kemp is barely trying to hide the shameful fact that his strategy is to win through voter suppression."
"The idea that he, as Secretary of State, would be 'concerned' that hardworking Georgians are exercising their right to vote is disgraceful and outrageous," she said. "Brian Kemp should resign immediately so that Georgians can be sure the election will be administered in an impartial and competent manner."
Rolling Stone's reporting sparked immediate outrage and fueled sharp critiques of Kemp's contributions to nationwide efforts by Republican officials to impose measures that make it harder to vote and which often disproportionately impact people of color and those with lower incomes.
"These remarks from any candidate for office would be appalling, but for them to come from a Secretary of State who oversees voting is especially disturbing," said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Chad Griffin. "[Kemp] has no place serving as Secretary of State, Governor, or in any public office."
"People making their voices heard is what democracy in this country is all about--we should not be making it harder to vote," tweeted Our Revolution.