A record number of women are running for office. Among them is Stacey Abrams who is running for Governor in Georgia. In the third of UniteWomen.org’s new series entitled #WhyImRunning, Stacey tells us about her background and why she decided to run for office.

Why I’m Running

For the Governor of Georgia

by Stacey Abrams

My five siblings and I grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi with three tenets: go to school, go to church, and take care of each other. Despite struggling to make ends meet for our family, my parents made service a way of life for their children – if someone was less fortunate, it was our job to serve that person. This ethic – and my parents’ unwavering commitment to providing educational opportunity for their children – led our family to Georgia.

As Methodist ministers, my parents worked tirelessly to serve the poor, and did so one person at a time. I first ran for office because I understood that government has a tremendous capacity to end generational poverty, and I wanted a job where I could foster change across an entire state.

Now I am running for Governor of Georgia because I want to help create a state where everyone can succeed, not just survive. Georgia deserves a leader willing to lift up the voices of everyone around the state, and help every person become an equal partner in ensuring government works for everyone.

The Georgia governorship is a powerful position that has the potential to make an immediate, meaningful impact on people’s lives. From setting the state’s budget priorities to making key appointments that reflect the communities we serve, to expanding progress like criminal justice reform and Medicaid, Georgia needs a leader who will leverage the role for every corner of the state.

My vision for Georgia is one where we help support bold and ambitious children who are served from cradle to career. We should have an educational system that doesn’t settle for adequacy, but strives for excellence. Georgia children should grow up knowing that their future is limitless.

I am running because we have to fix government so it works for everyone, everywhere. We have to believe that government is ours, and that elected officials work for you, not the other way around. And we have to believe in our heart of hearts that government is good again.

A Georgia that works for everyone must also have a diverse and thriving economy in every part of the state, so that no person is required to move to seek economic opportunity. Every city in each of the 159 counties in Georgia should be able to not just support its residents, but create an environment where everyone can thrive.

For too long in Georgia, too many voices have been ignored or left out. From a small business owner in Dougherty County, to a student innovator in Macon, to a retired grandparent raising her granddaughter in Dalton, everyone should have access to the resources they need to thrive.

Georgia’s potential is limitless if we imagine a bolder future for ourselves. I am ready to make this vision a reality, and work alongside people in this state to build a stronger, brighter Georgia where every community is connected to opportunity. As governor, I will work for a prosperous Georgia – one committed to equality, fueled by innovation and determined to succeed.

Stacey’s Website
Stacey’s Facebook
Stacey’s Twitter
Stacey’s Instagram 

If you are a woman running for office, and would like to submit to #WhyImRunning, please send an email to Press@UniteWomen.org with your name, election, and contact information.

Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams received degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, & Yale Law School. She is a small business owner and award-winning author of romance-suspense novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery. As Leader, Abrams has flipped six Republican seats for Democrats – preventing a Republican supermajority, and has built a nationally renowned caucus program. In the legislature, she fought to expand support for grandparents & other relatives raising children; as well as military families. She also led the fight to expand Medicaid.