Stacey Abrams says Democrat wins in Georgia offer opportunity for 'correcting and restoring rights'

Stacey Abrams on voter turnout in Georgia and the state's gubernatorial first

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Stacey Abrams speaks onstage during the Clinton Global Initiative 2026 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on September 22, 2026, in New York City. JP Yim/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative hide caption

JP Yim/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative

Georgia Democrats scored major victories in key state and local during the midterm elections, including Keisha Lance Bottoms making history as the first Black woman elected governor and the first Democrat in more than 20 years to hold that office. Incumbent senator Jon Osoff also defended his seat, defeating Republican Rep. Mike Collins.

Stacey Abrams, who ran for governor of Georgia in 2018 and 2022 and founded Fair Fight Action to combat voter suppression, played a vital role in paving the way for future successes for her party in her home state.

Abrams told NPR's Michel Martin that now that Georgia has won Democratic victories for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and in the state house, those wins provide "us an opportunity to start correcting and restoring rights that we've seen lost across the South for more than 20 years."

She said the work she has done has not only been about rebuilding the Democratic Party but also restoring people's trust, which takes time. With each election cycle and the time in between has been about continuing that effort, Abrams said.

She added that she is grateful that the work to combat what she describes as voter suppression led to this outcome because it signals that conversation and that consistency pay dividends.

Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue button above.

The radio interview was edited by Olivia Hampton. The digital version was edited by Treye Green.