On October 11, People For the American Way in solidarity with Our Revolution hosted a phone bank to rally support for Stacey Abrams’s history-making campaign for governor of Georgia. The goal of the evening was to recruit volunteers in Georgia for Abrams as she enters her final month of the campaign. The polls have been especially tight in this race, and after hearing news of Brian Kemp’s attempt to keep a significant number of Black voters from the polls, rallying support for Abrams has become an even bigger priority for PFAW as we fight for a fair and just election.

Abrams, a progressive champion and tireless fighter for working families, would be Georgia’s first Black governor and the first Black woman elected governor of any state. She’d also be one of the most progressive candidates to ever be elected to such a high position in the state. She has proposed a number of progressive initiatives including the creation of affordable housing for all Georgians, progressive criminal justice reforms, ensuring high-quality education, and providing affordable health care options.

Abrams’ opponent, Brian Kemp, has launched a series of attack ads against Abrams, making her campaign vulnerable in this tight race. Kemp is brutally anti-immigrant, announcing in an ad that he has a “big truck” to “round up criminal illegals.” He has also stated on multiple occasions that he supports anti-LGBTQ legislation, and his dangerous agenda is almost entirely aligned with Donald Trump’s. Perhaps worst of all is Kemp’s last move in his eight-year battle to suppress Black voters in Georgia, when his office put 53,000 registration applications on hold because they were flagged by the state’s “exact match” system.

Despite the inclement weather that evening, People For the American Way staff were joined by several PFAW members, outside volunteers, and individuals from Our Revolution. Some of our volunteers were seasoned campaign phone bankers, while others joined us for the first time. In total, a group of around 20 individuals was able to make close to 1,000 calls and recruit a significant number of potential volunteers to rally support for Abrams’ campaign. This call count number is especially impressive considering that Hurricane Michael shut down a number of phone lines we were trying to reach in Georgia.

With the race this tight, we need all hands on deck as we enter the last month of this campaign. If you are interested in helping us bring a blue wave into office this November by volunteering to support Stacey Abrams, please visit the campaign’s website.