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Georgia gubernatorial candidates Gov. Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams sparred Sunday successful their 2nd and final debate – their past accidental to sway undecided voters arsenic the candidates conflict to beryllium Georgia's politician erstwhile again.
In the hourlong statement that allowed for longer rebuttals, topics changed – sometimes quickly – with candidates pivoting from affordable lodging to pandemic response, for instance.
The candidates' 2nd statement took spot astir 2 weeks aft aboriginal voting successful the authorities began, with implicit a cardinal Georgia voters already casting their ballots. Election Day is Nov. 8.
The economy, abortion and weapon ownership each came up successful the debate; they are among the top issues concerning voters heading into the midterm election.
The last question dealt with whether Kemp and Abrams would respect the results.
"Yes," Abrams answered quickly.
"Absolutely," Kemp said, moving connected to picture however harmless his state's voting laws are and accusing the Democrat of stoking fears astir elector suppression. He besides touted the grounds elector turnouts successful past authorities elections, refuting immoderate claims of elector suppression wrong the state.
Abrams deed backmost astatine Kemp, accusing him of trying to “keep radical retired of the polling place.” Abrams doubled down connected her past enactment successful voting rights efforts, saying she is “proud” of the 3 decades of her beingness she’s dedicated to defending voting entree and the close to vote.
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First statement takeaways: Kemp, Abrams renew their rivalry and propulsion divergent visions successful Georgia governor's debate
Kemp's closer: I enactment Georgians first
Kemp utilized his closing connection to repetition his assertion that his grounds arsenic politician entitles him to a 2nd term.
He cited falling employment and rising economical growth, and told voters helium "put them first" implicit the presumption quo. Kemp besides recovered clip to bash Abrams 1 past clip for her criticisms.
The closing connection ended a statement that touched connected voting rights, weapon control, termination and economical improvement for each people.
– David Jackson
Abrams closes with vision of her governorship
In her closing statement, Abrams blasted Kemp for rising transgression rates and lodging prices nether his incumbency arsenic governor.
“I privation to bash amended by Georgia. I privation to enactment you archetypal each azygous day,” said Abrams. She pushed for Medicaid expansion, stronger weapon power laws, and repealing Georgia’s six week termination ban.
In her past transportation to voters successful Sunday's final debate, she pointed to her credentials successful Georgia’s authorities legislature.
“I’ve spent the past 15 years arsenic a authorities leader. I’ve spent my beingness arsenic idiosyncratic who believes successful doing close by people. I was raised by my parents to bash right,” Abrams closed.
– Ken Tran
Abrams, Kemp proceed to reason implicit guns (and weapon control)
Another question connected weapon violence: Abrams again said caller laws are needed due to the fact that guns are simply excessively casual to get, and Kemp has worked to loosen the laws that are there. She called for waiting periods and amended inheritance checks to defender against the mentally sick obtaining weapons, and said the politician is "minimizing" the rising fig of weapon deaths.
Kemp said law-abiding weapon owners should not beryllium punished due to the fact that criminals usage guns.
– David Jackson
Abrams steers statement to weapon control
Amid speech of the handling of COVID-19, Abrams steered the debate’s speech to weapon control.
“We request caution. We request caution, and our weapon laws to marque definite that unsafe radical aren’t allowed to person weapons,” Abrams said, past attacking Kemp. “But this politician doesn’t judge successful caution."
Kemp, responding to Abram’s attacks, said: “The criminals, they don’t attraction what the laws are. They already got the guns.” Instead, Kemp said, helium is “giving radical the ability, if they would similar to, to conceal transportation to support themselves.”
Abrams pushed for cosmopolitan inheritance checks successful Georgia, but Kemp brushed it off.
“When she’s talking astir each these different people, they’re breaking the law,” Kemp said.
– Ken Tran
Housing questions turns to statement connected COVID, wellness attraction successful Georgia
The statement rapidly shifted from a question astir lodging issues successful the authorities to the wellness attraction scenery aft Kemp accused Abrams of not wanting to absorption connected her record. In response, Abrams touted her past efforts to assistance Georgians spend lodging and wellness attraction and criticized Kemp’s handling of the pandemic.
“The Atlanta Medical Center survived 120 years, but could not past 4 years of Brian Kemp,” Abrams said.
Kemp defended his handling of COVID-19, taking shots astatine Abrams, saying that the authorities was 1 caller COVID variant distant from Abrams wanting to “lock our authorities down,” and accusing her of not wanting to springiness Georgian’s a “choice.”
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Abrams ties Kemp to Herschel Walker implicit termination – twice
Abrams repeatedly bashed Kemp implicit his absorption to abortion, and doubly mentioned different Georgia Republican: Herschel Walker, who is accused of paying for 2 abortions. Kemp volition "defend Herschel Walker," but not support the women of Georgia, Abrams said. Kemp defended his grounds connected termination – but did not notation Walker.
– David Jackson
Kemp defends anti-abortion stance
On abortion, Kemp reaffirmed his anti-abortion views, pointing to Georgia’s instrumentality that bans termination around six weeks.
“We are a authorities that values life,” Kemp said.
When asked if Kemp would motion further restrictions connected abortion, helium was noncommital.
“I personally don’t spot a request to spell back, but erstwhile you’re governor, you person to woody with each kinds of legislative issues that are retired there,” said Kemp, past attacked Biden for precocious ostentation rates again.
Abrams seized upon Kemp’s answer, telling viewers, “Let’s beryllium clear, helium did not accidental helium wouldn’t.”
“We cognize that nether this governor, women are successful danger," she added.
On limits to abortion, Abrams said women should person “the quality to marque a determination until viability and that determination astir viability should not interaction her beingness and health.”
– Ken Tran
Abrams says Kemp is lying, wide grounds connected enactment for police
Abrams accused Kemp of “lying again” aft the incumbent stated that Abrams supported efforts to defund the police. She declared her enactment of instrumentality enforcement on with nationalist information and accountability.
Abrams said the emergence of convulsive transgression successful Georgia has occurred due to the fact that of Kemp earlier listing her efforts successful moving with instrumentality enforcement to amended antithetic communities successful the state.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Kemp touts grounds connected warring crime
Kemp has a mantra tonight: "Look astatine my record." In this case, helium defended programs to combat crime, an contented Republicans person utilized crossed the state to onslaught Democrats. Abrams reverses that tactic, noting that Kemp's grounds includes a statewide summation successful crime. Kemp says Abrams volition onslaught his grounds due to the fact that she doesn't privation to sermon her ain grounds of criticizing the police.
– David Jackson
Abrams reiterates economical policies
When asked what could she bash arsenic politician to amended the economical conditions successful Georgia, Abrams listed respective policies she’s antecedently supported, including making acquisition affordable for Georgians.
She criticized existing programs successful the state, taking purpose astatine Kemp’s grounds arsenic politician without straight mentioning it successful her answer.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Kemp blames ostentation connected Democratic power of Washington
When asked astir what the politician of Georgia tin bash erstwhile it comes to the economy, Kemp archetypal attacked President Joe Biden and afloat Democratic power of Congress.
“Americans are hurting close present due to the fact that of a disastrous argumentation docket by Joe Biden and the Democrats that person implicit power successful Washington, D.C.,” Kemp said.
Kemp past pointed to his existent administration's transition of level income taxation chopped and suspension of a state tax, arguing his tenure arsenic politician has been palmy successful confronting ostentation and the economy.
– Ken Tran
Kemp, Abrams springiness wide opening statements
In his opening statement, Kemp spoke archetypal and talked precise mostly astir his grounds and an improving economy, saying Georgia is the "best authorities successful the country." Abrams besides gave an uplifting statement, saying she wants "everyone" successful Georgia to thrive and volition grant everyone's rights – dissimilar Kemp.
– David Jackson
New polls: Kemp leads contention for governor
With Nov. 8 conscionable implicit a week away, Kemp leads Abrams by 9 percent points successful the contention for Georgia governor, according to an October InsiderAdvantage poll. Fifty-two percent of apt voters said they would ballot for Kemp portion 43% of voters said they would ballot for Abrams.
A caller Monmouth University canvass besides recovered Kemp edging retired Abrams with 55% of voters saying they would decidedly oregon astir apt ballot for Kemp – a 6 percent constituent summation for the incumbent from past month. Only 43% of voters said they would decidedly oregon astir apt ballot for Abrams, 2 percent points little than the erstwhile month.
Forty-three percent of voters said jobs, the system and outgo of surviving was the astir important contented erstwhile voting, with termination coming successful second. Fifty-three percent of Georgia voters said they spot Kemp much with issues of system and outgo of surviving compared to 35% of voters who said they spot Abrams.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Over 1.6 cardinal Georgia voters truthful far
This midterm election, voters successful Georgia look to beryllium much energized than ever. Turnout for aboriginal voting successful Georgia has remained astatine an all-time high.
So far, implicit 1.6 cardinal voters person formed their ballot aboriginal truthful acold – a 40% summation successful turnout compared to the 2018 midterm elections astatine this constituent successful the election, according to information from Georgia’s Secretary of State office. Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s caput of state, projects that fig to deed 2 cardinal earlier Election day.
“One successful 5 progressive voters person already gotten their ballot in, and we volition deed the 2-million-mark adjacent week,” Raffensperger said successful a connection announcing the grounds turnout.
– Ken Tran
Abrams to beryllium assertive successful the debate; Kemp takes low-key approach
Abrams said she volition usage this statement to formed Kemp arsenic a politician who lone wants to contradict radical things, from termination rights to economical assistance to the ballot itself.
"During the archetypal debate, I exposed Brian Kemp’s lies," Abrams tweeted conscionable hours earlier the clash. "Tonight, I volition amusement Georgians erstwhile again that I americium the lone campaigner who stands with them and volition combat to assistance up each family."
Kemp, who is starring the polls, besides took to societal media, but said thing astir strategy against Abrams.
The politician tweeted, "TONIGHT: Watch the LAST gubernatorial statement earlier the wide election."
– David Jackson
How to watch
The statement is hosted by WSB-TV and volition beryllium streamed connected WSB Now. The statement volition besides beryllium streamed connected the network’s Channel 2, disposable for section viewers to watch.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Who is Stacey Abrams?
Democratic gubernatorial campaigner Stacey Abrams roseate to the nationalist spotlight pursuing her 2018 tally for the governorship of Georgia.
Since then, she's been known for her enactment with get-out-the-vote organizations. She has been credited with registering 800,000 caller Georgia voters up of the past statesmanlike election.
Abrams works with FairFight Action, a governmental enactment committee that focuses connected voting rights. The committee raised astir $90 cardinal successful 2020.
If elected, Abrams volition service arsenic the nation's archetypal Black pistillate governor.
– Rachel Looker
Who is Brian Kemp?
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is vying for his 2nd word successful office. He defeated Trump-backed campaigner David Perdue, a erstwhile U.S. Senator, in the primaries.
During his clip arsenic governor, Kemp signed legislation for a national waiver to bypass the Affordable Care Act website, projected a constricted Medicaid expansion, attracted respective large manufacturing facilities to Georgia, signed respective bills that helium says volition enactment tiny businesses, delivered connected a wage summation for teachers and signed a instrumentality preventing the teaching of alleged "divisive concepts" successful schools.
The Republican politician has received backlash from erstwhile President Trump by refusing to assistance him overturn the 2020 predetermination results successful Georgia.
– Rachel Looker
English (US)