CNN "State of the Union" - Transcript: Interview With Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams

Interview

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TAPPER: Welcome back to STATE OF THE UNION. I'm Jake Tapper.

Civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia, joined other national lawmakers today in raising concerns that the state of Georgia is engaging in -- quote -- "blatant voter suppression."

Lewis joined Democratic governor -- candidate for governor Stacey Abrams, who's calling on her opponent, Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp, to resign after an Associated Press investigation found that Kemp stalled 53,000 voter registrations because the names don't exactly match other state I.D. forms, as they are required to under George's new exact match law.

Seventy percent of the voters given pending status are minorities, according to the AP.

Kemp declined our request for an interview, but his campaign called the story bogus and pointed out that the state just broke an all-time voter registration record.

[09:30:01] Joining me now is the Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia and the former statehouse minority leader, Stacey Abrams.

Leader Abrams, thanks so much for joining us.

Your opponent, Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp, says that those 53,000 voters can still vote on Election Day if they show an I.D. at the polls. Why is that not good enough?

ABRAMS: The problem is twofold.

One is that you have 53,000 who -- people who are being forced to go through unnecessary hurdles to prove their bona fides.

But the second is that you have 159 counties, thousands of volunteer and paid poll workers who are going to be asked to substantially verify that these I.D.s are sufficient. And the challenges there is, this is a subjective standard.

It would be much easier if he actually did his job and processed people in a proper fashion, and we did not have this flawed exact match system, that he knew was flawed because we sued him in 2016, and a federal judge forced him to restore 33,000 illegally canceled registrations.

This is simply a redux of a failed system that is designed to both scare people out of voting and make it harder for those who are willing to push through, make it harder for them to vote.

TAPPER: But, Leader Abrams, he argues that he's doing his job. The exact match the law was passed by the state legislature last April. He's the sitting secretary of state.

He says, why should I step down just to -- because I'm following the existing law on the books?

ABRAMS: I think the call for his resignation is larger than simply this last and latest example of incompetence.

This is a larger pattern of behavior. This is someone who sued a woman for helping her blind mother cast a ballot, who closed more than 200 polling places across the state, but who also fails to take responsibility for his actions.

When something goes well, he takes credit, but, when there's a problem, he blames everyone else. Voting should not be a question of trust on the part of voters, whether they can trust the system.

And, right now, he is eroding the public trust in the system because 53,000 people have been told, you may be able to vote, you may not, it's up to you to prove it.

TAPPER: But, Leader Abrams, are you suggesting -- you haven't said it on the show so far -- but the way that this is being depicted in Georgia media and across the country is that this is Brian Kemp being racially motivated. Are you saying that he is being racially motivated in who he is

targeting here?

ABRAMS: I would say that we have known since 2016 that the exact match system has a disproportionate effect on people of color and on women.

He was sued for this exact problem. He was forced to restore 33,000 illegally canceled registrations. And he turned around and got the state legislature to pass a law to allow him to make the same mistake again.

When you know that what you're doing is going to have a disproportionate effect on people of color and on women, and you do it anyway, that erodes the public trust in the system. And that's problematic.

TAPPER: Can you explain to voters who aren't familiar with this why you think the exact match system is disproportionately targeting women and people of color?

It -- just for people who don't know, it requires that there not be any discrepancy between somebody's I.D. and somebody's name and how they appear in the voter rolls.

ABRAMS: Exactly.

So, the professor who was covered by the AP story, this is a college professor who has a hyphen in her last name. Because the hyphen was left out either by someone typing in the information at the Department of Motor Vehicles or in the registrar's office, she was removed from the rolls, despite being someone who actively votes.

That type of minor error can turn into a major problem. Because she's a college professor, she knows the systems to go through to figure out the solution.

But what about those low-propensity voters in those tiny communities who are finally stepping up and saying, this is my turn to cast my ballot, only to find that they are disenfranchised? They don't know that they can go to the polls. They get a confusing letter saying there's something wrong with their registration. And more than likely they will sit out this election.

The miasma of fear that is created through voter suppression is as much about terrifying people about trying to vote as it is about actually blocking their ability to do so.

TAPPER: Leader Abrams, I want to ask you about the economy.

Georgia's unemployment rate fell below the national average for the first time in more than a decade in August. Georgia's GDP growth is better than the national average. Is it fair to say that the Trump economy has been good for Georgia?

ABRAMS: I would say that the Obama economy and that Nathan Deal, as governor, have both done a very good job of shepherding our society.

But the problem we have is that, while our unemployment rate has fallen, we still are a low-wage state, where you have a lot of folks who are working two or three of those jobs.

And I'm running for governor because you shouldn't have to work more than one job full-time to make a living. You shouldn't have to fight to get access to health care. We shouldn't have rural hospitals shutting down because of our refusal to expand Medicaid.

I'm running for governor because I want to be the governor for everyone, not just those who are succeeding in our current economy, but for everyone who needs good education, good jobs, and access to health care.

TAPPER: The former attorney general under Obama, Eric Holder, was rallying your supporters in Stockbridge, Georgia, last weekend.

[09:35:05]

I want you to take a listen to something that he told Democrats.

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TAPPER: "When they go low, we kick them." Holder says he means that figuratively, obviously, not literally.

But do you agree that that's the best approach for Democrats?

ABRAMS: I believe that the best approach for Democrats is to vote, to be engaged in our body politic, and to do the work to get people to turn out, and to recreate our electorate to truly reflect the diversity of our state.

And while I think, if you listen to the rest of the tape, you will hear that he goes on to explain what he meant, hyperbole in elections can be very difficult.

And that's why, if you look at my campaign, I have run a very consistent campaign from beginning to end. I didn't blow things up. I didn't point weapons at people. I didn't threaten to round people up in my truck.

I have talked consistently about creating jobs, getting good public education back to our students, and making sure that everyone has access to affordable health care by expanding Medicaid. I have been consistent from beginning. And I will continue to be this

way not only through this election, but as the next governor of Georgia.

TAPPER: Georgia has not elected a Democratic governor in two decades.

On a host of social and economic issues, you do seem to be more progressive than the average Georgian. Why are you the right person to be their governor?

ABRAMS: Because what I'm talking about is progress for all of us.

Making certain that your family income and your zip code doesn't determine your education shouldn't just be a progressive value. It's a smart value.

Believing that we should join 33 other states in drawing down billions of dollars for health care to protect preexisting conditions and those who are working hard that simply are too poor to afford insurance, that's not a progressive or liberal -- that's not a progressive or conservative value. It's a good economic decision.

That's why Democrats and Republicans have expanded Medicaid. And believing that we should create good jobs in all 159 counties should be something that every single governor wants to do.

And I am simply the only candidate who has the experience, the comprehensive plans, and the intention of serving all of Georgia.

Unfortunately, my opponent has demonstrated that he will cherry-pick not only his voters, but he's going to cherry-pick those he serves. And that's not right for Georgia.

TAPPER: And we should note that we did invite your opponent, Secretary of Skate Kemp, to be on the show, and he declined our invitation.

Leader Abrams, thank you so much for your time.

ABRAMS: Thank you for having me

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