Stacey Abrams

“My primary goal is to eradicate poverty; I believe it is immoral and a stain on our society. And so when I despair or get angry, I take the time to think about how I can best achieve that goal - and then I get to work.”

“My parents are ministers.”

“I do not Google myself, I do not read comments, and I barely look myself in the eye when I look in the mirror.”

“We must use words to uplift and include. We can use our words to fight back against oppression and hate. But we must also channel our words into action.”

“Our ability to participate in government, to elect our leaders and to improve our lives is contingent upon our ability to access the ballot. We know in our heart of hearts that voting is a sacred right - the fount from which all other rights flow.”

“I was born trying to figure out why other kids were just playing in a circle. What are you doing in the circle? Duck, Duck, Goose? What is the goose supposed to do? You could be organizing; you could be producing products that are for sale. You have a circle, but how are you utilizing it?”

“Georgians understand obligation, love of family, and payment plans.”

“I'm not going to fearmonger to win an election. I'm going to focus on the positive opportunities we have for a bright future for all of our families, where everyone has the freedom and opportunity to thrive.”

“Fundamentally, the solution to economic insecurity is economic prosperity - an achievable goal. But for anyone who has grown up without financial security, there's a shadow that lies over even those who move towards independence: lack of financial literacy.”

“While my parents both worked full-time, we still grappled with the scourge of working-class poverty. But my entrepreneurial mother used her research skills to consult. And, along with my dad, she even ran a soul food restaurant for my great-aunt.”

“I have been privileged to write across multiple facets of my life: to write romance novels, to write memoir, to write about leadership, and to write tax and social policy articles. The act of writing is integral to who I am. I'm a writer, a politician, a tax attorney, a civic leader, and an entrepreneur. I am proud of what I've accomplished.”

“We live in a nation that spent centuries denying the right to vote to the poor, to women, and to people of color.”

“Writing is a side hustle that had previously enabled me to pay for rehab for my brother, purchase a car for my parents, and help friends out when they fell on hard times.”

“For parents who work, afterschool programs can be a crucial support system, but too many communities have limited options.”

“Here in Georgia, we continue to grapple with our own vestiges of hate. The image carved into Stone Mountain, like Confederate monuments across this state, stand as constant reminders of racism, intolerance, and division.”

“Where I know my strengths lie, for me, is establishing systems and protocols, finding solutions, and trying to push for results. The Senate is a great institution, but for me, it's not the role that best suits those needs.”

“A guy can try something and not be successful, and it's just about him. But when you're a person of color, when you're a woman, when you're a woman of color in particular, you mess it up, and other people get tarred by your decision-making. You never act alone.”

“Where I think historians can help preserve and actually restore democracy is to remind us of how we got it.”

“The 'Next Generation' and 'Voyager' are about even; I think 'Voyager' is mildly superior, although Picard is the quintessential captain.”

“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.”