Media top headlines February 28
In media news today, CNN picks its new president, a New York Times journalist argues Europe isn't a continent, and Jen Psaki dodges a question about President Biden's mental fitness.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams told Axios Monday that she "will acknowledge the victor" in the upcoming gubernatorial election, after questioning the results of the 2018 race in which she was defeated by current Gov. Brian Kemp, R.
Abrams was asked if her refusal to concede emboldened former President Donald Trump and his supporters who continue to question the results of the 2020 election.
"I will always acknowledge the legal outcome of an election. I have never failed to do that," Abrams said. She also said that she doesn't want the American people to be in a place "where we cannot legitimately question" and criticize systems in an effort to make them better.
Stacey Abrams served in the Georgia state House for more than 10 years. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Abrams refused to concede after losing to Kemp in the 2018 election. "Concession needs to say something is right and true and proper. ... You can’t trick me into saying it was right," she said, explaining why she refused to concede at the time. The gubernatorial candidate claimed Republicans "stole" the election from Georgia voters.
Abrams did acknowledge Kemp's certification as governor.
"To watch an elected official – who claims to represent the people in this state, baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people’s democratic right to vote – has been truly appalling," Abrams said during the same speech. "So let's be clear, this is not a speech of concession."
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 02: Georgia Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams walks on stage and waves at the audience for a campaign rally at Morehouse College with former US President Barack Obama on November 2, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)
Abrams filed a lawsuit in reaction to the 2018 election results with her organization Fair Fight Action and a trial is set for April. The federal judge has rejected most of the organization's complaints, according to Axios. The lawsuit keys in on "exact match," which requires the voters name on both their ID and the voter roll to match exactly. If they don't, the law requires additional verification.
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About 53,000 voter registrations were put on hold prior to the 2018 election because of the exact match law. These voters were still able to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day and had 26 months to correct their information before it was canceled, according to NBC News.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 10: Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks during a press conference announcing expanded statewide COVID testing on August 10, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
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Kemp repeatedly pushed back against Abrams' allegations and the lawsuits that came after the election.
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