The election is heating up in Georgia's historic race for governor between Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp. Voters are reporting racist robocalls. The robocall is allegedly originating from a white supremacist group that is bringing racism into an already hotly contested race.
If Abrams wins the race for Governor, she will be the first black female governor in the history of the U.S. She has been fighting a close battle against Georgia's secretary of state Kemp whose office oversees the elections. Kemp has been faced with allegations that he has used his office to make it more difficult for minorities to vote, an accusation he vehemently denies.
Both Abrams and Kemp condemned the automated robocalls filled with racist and anti-Semitic comments that have been spamming voters. The calls claim to be paid for by The Road to Power, a group created by a man in Idaho named Scott Rhodes who has been linked to several other racist robocalls.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Group behind <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/robocall?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#robocall</a> is The Road to Power, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whitesupremacist?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whitesupremacist</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/antiSemitic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#antiSemitic</a> video podcast hosted by Scott Rhodes of Idaho. Same <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/neoNazi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#neoNazi</a> group targeted <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gillum?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gillum</a> after he won Dem Fla gub. nomination. They also did robocalls in IA, using Mollie Tibbetts' death to attack <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Latinos?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Latinos</a>.</p>— TendrilsFresh (@TendrilsFresh) <a href="https://twitter.com/TendrilsFresh/status/1058868335323025409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Rhodes was recently linked to racist robocalls in Florida where Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum was running to became the state's first black governor. The number of people who have received the call is unknown. The call impersonates Oprah Winfrey, the media personality that became a billionaire in the television industry. Winfrey recently came to Georgia to show her support for Abrams.
Kemp condemned the calls as "vile" and "contrary to the highest ideals of our state and country." He also said, "any person or organization that peddles this type of unbridled hate and unapologetic bigotry." Abrams also called the calls a low blow and tried to turn them against Kemp and his most high-profile supporter, President Donald Trump.
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The President is set to visit Georgia to campaign on Sunday, but Abrams accused both he and Kemp of contributing to a poisonous atmosphere. Abrams' spokeswoman Abigail Collazo said, "These automated calls are being sent into homes just days before President Trump arrives, reminding voters exactly who is promoting a political climate that celebrates this kind of vile, poisonous thinking."
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Abrams offered a few brief public remarks Saturday during a visit to an Atlanta shopping complex with her local congressman John Lewis but didn't mention the robocalls. Abrams said the election is about issues such as expanding Medicaid insurance and focusing state spending on public education. "Georgia has long been on a path of change and evolution," she said.
Abrams added, "I'm the only candidate with a plan to get that done and to do that without vitriol, without vilifying people." Lewis is a 78-year-old congressman who has been a civil rights icon. Lewis said, "This young lady is playing a major role in helping liberate all of us, liberate the state of Georgia, liberate the South, liberate America."
Kemp did not address the robocalls during his visit with a packed crowd of voters, but said the race for governor was a choice between continued economic prosperity under Republican leadership or a turn to "socialism" under the Democrat party. Kemp added the election was about "this generation and generations to come and the kind of state that we leave them."
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Tensions have been rising in the state since October when more than 53,000 voter applications were put on hold by Kemp's office ahead of the election. Of the 53,000 applications, 70% are black, and this has given Abrams more ammunition against her opponent. Kemp's office confirmed voters in "pending" status can still vote if they bring a proper ID that matches their registration information and called the controversy "manufactured."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Happy to see <a href="https://twitter.com/HerschelWalker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HerschelWalker</a> endorse <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianKempGA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrianKempGA</a> for governor! He is a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GA</a> boy and knows what is best for our state. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gapol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gapol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gagov?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gagov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gagop?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gagop</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeepChoppin?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeepChoppin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaturdayThoughts?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaturdayThoughts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/georgia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#georgia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomenforTrump?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomenforTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/HOPYlB0tfk">https://t.co/HOPYlB0tfk</a></p>— Amy Kremer (@AmyKremer) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmyKremer/status/1058758854077497344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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