Stacey Abrams Says She Won't Be Running for Senate

In a Twitter video published on Tuesday morning, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and state House of Representatives Minority Leader Stacey Abrams announced she wouldn’t be seeking election to the U.S. Senate. Though Abrams said she doesn’t know what was next for her, she said she’s committed to getting a Democrat elected to a Georgia Senate seat in 2020.

“I am so grateful for all of the support and encouragement I have received, from fellow Georgians, to leaders of Congress, and beyond,” Abrams said in the video. “However, the fights to be waged require a deep commitment to the job, and I do not see the U.S. Senate as the best role for me in this battle for our nation’s future.”

Abrams went on to say that she wanted to elect a senator who doesn’t make excuses for their own inaction, will expand healthcare coverage, and will protect migrant families and farmers. Abrams said her team will be releasing information about protecting and expanding voter registration in the state, citing the voter suppression we saw affect her 2018 campaign.

According to the Hill, Abrams met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday to tell him that she wouldn’t be seeking election to the Senate.

Abrams’ announcement comes after months of speculation about where she’ll set her political sights next. Last month, Abrams denied rumors from former Vice President Joe Biden’s then-not-yet-announced 2020 campaign was courting her as a running mate out of the gate, a strategy an Abrams adviser later called “exploitative.”

“Running in a primary to be vice president is very different than someone who has been selected by the party to be the nominee asking you to serve as a partner,” Abrams said at the time on the View. “I am open to all options.”

According to the Hill, Abrams taking herself out of the running has some Democrats considering revisiting Jon Ossoff for the seat. In 2017, Ossoff narrowly lost a special election for Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District. Since then, Ossoff has reportedly been holding informal town halls around the state. If he ran, he’d be challenging Republican Sen. David Perdue, who isn’t a fan of town halls himself, and has been criticized for dodging constituents by avoiding holding events.