The official group of Democratic candidates vying for the presidency already touts more than 20 names. And it's by no means too late for the list to keep growing. In a Thursday interview with the podcast "Pod Save America," Stacey Abrams hinted a 2020 run for president still isn't out of the question for her.
"Pod Save America" co-host Daniel Pfeiffer (who was previously the communications director for former President Barack Obama) asked Abrams if she would think about joining the "ever-growing Democratic presidential field." Abrams, who ran an ultimately unsuccessful gubernatorial race against former Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp in November 2018, responded with a brief but telling "yes."
Earlier this year, however, Abrams told SXSW in Austin, Texas, that the "earliest" she would launch a presidential campaign would be in 2028, Politico reported. "In the spreadsheet with all the jobs I wanted to do, 2028 would be the earliest I would be ready to stand for president because I would have done the work I thought necessary to be effective in that job," the Democrat said.
After her SXSW interview, though, Abrams went on Twitter to say that she didn't mean to eliminate a 2020 presidential run altogether. "In #LeadFromTheOutside, I explore how to be intentional about plans, but flexible enough to adapt. 20 years ago, I never thought I’d be ready to run for POTUS before 2028. But life comes at you fast," she said. "Now 2020 is definitely on the table."
Speculation about Abrams running for president is abundant, according to The Daily Beast. In March, The View co-host Joy Behar asked Abrams about rumors that former Vice President Joe Biden wanted the Peach State Democrat on his presidential ticket. Abrams swiftly shut that rumor down and told The View co-host, "I think you don't run for second place."
That month, the former gubernatorial candidate said on the show, "If I’m going to enter a primary, then I’m going to enter a primary. And if I don’t enter a primary, my job is to make certain that the best Democrat becomes the nominee and whoever wins the primary that we make sure that person gets elected in 2020."
When Behar asked Abrams about a reverse (and so far non-existent) "Abrams-Biden ticket," the Democrat mused, "I am open to a number of options right now." Ultimately, Abrams said, "The Senate race, running for governor again, possibly running for president, and my responsibility is to take seriously the responsibility, to give credibility to those who are asking me but to make sure I’m the right person, it’s the right time, and it’s the right job."
It's no surprise that people seem curious about Abrams' future plans, including perhaps running in the 2020 presidential race. And it may have to do with her passion for justice. During the gubernatorial race in 2018, the Democrat received nationwide praise for fighting for the rights of black voters in Georgia.
In an effort to shed light on voting rights, Abrams told NPR that she was almost denied casting an early ballot in October after a poll worker told her she had apparently requested an absentee ballot. Abrams told NPR she never did and made this much clear to the site's manager, who resolved the issue later on.
Voting should be made accessible for everyone, Abrams asserted in November. The Democrat said that she was privileged to know the law and raise the issue to the site manager but "thousands, millions in Georgia" did not know this. And that, she said, needed to be fixed right away.
