Stacey Abrams Declares She Will Not Run for Georgia Governor in 2026, Channeling Efforts Against Democratic Erosion

By Solange Reyner

Two-time Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams announced she will not seek elected office in the 2026 race, instead dedicating herself to the fight against authoritarianism.

“Americans are in pain but they are ready to act, and now is the moment to reconnect to what is at stake and what is possible,” Abrams, a Democrat, stated. “It’s clear to me that the most effective way I can serve right now is by continuing to do this important work.”

Abrams narrowly lost to Republican Brian Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election and refused to concede. She also lost her 2022 rematch against Kemp by nearly 8 points.

After her 2018 defeat, Abrams founded the Fair Fight political organization, which aims to combat voter suppression, increase voter participation, educate voters on their rights, and advocate for election integrity.

With Abrams’ leadership, Georgia flipped blue in 2020, electing former President Joe Biden and two Democratic senators.

Abrams also established two nonprofits: the New Georgia Project and the New Georgia Project Action Fund. However, she faced controversy over allegations that these groups violated state law by campaigning for her without registering as political committees. The organizations were fined $300,000 in January 2025.

As a former minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, Abrams stated in her declaration that she will continue to fight for democracy. “The antidote to authoritarianism and its harms has always been democracy; and I have long believed that democracy requires active engagement and staunch defenders,” she wrote. “But democracy is experienced by the vast majority through the work of government — when it fails, we are all imperiled.”

Georgia voters will choose their next governor on November 3 in the state’s general election, determining who succeeds Kemp, who cannot run for a third consecutive term due to Georgia’s term limits.