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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 17 November 2018

Abrams ends Georgia governor bid; says she’ll file lawsuit

By BILL BARROW and KATE Obama’s 2010 health care
BRUMBACK overhaul.
Associated Press Abrams’ campaign
ATLANTA (AP) — Democrat sparked huge energy
Stacey Abrams ended her across the state and she
challenge to Republican became a national Demo-
Brian Kemp in the Georgia cratic star. Election turnout
governor’s race on Friday, among both sides’ ener-
but pledged to fight the gized bases nearly equaled
former secretary of state’s that of the 2016 presiden-
“gross mismanagement” of tial vote.
the elections with a federal Kemp’s victory is an impor-
lawsuit. Speaking defiant- tant marker for Republicans
ly to a news conference, ahead of the 2020 presi-
Abrams said her actions dential election. Kemp’s
did not constitute a con- narrow margin already sug-
cession, but she acknowl- gests that Georgia, a state
edged that she had no fur- Trump won by 5 percent-
ther recourse under the law age points in 2016, could
and that Kemp would be be a genuine battleground
certified the winner. in 2020. Trump bet big
“Let’s be clear: This is not a on Kemp, endorsing him
speech of concession,” she Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams makes remarks during a press conference at ahead of Kemp’s Repub-
said. “Because concession the Abrams Headquarters in Atlanta, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. lican primary runoff and
means to acknowledge an Associated Press campaigning for him the
action is right, true or prop- he tried to maintain GOP campaign had told The As- elections,” Abrams said. weekend prior to the Nov.
er. As a woman of con- dominance in a state that sociated Press on Thursday She did not give details. 6 election. Now, Trump will
science and faith I cannot hasn’t elected a Democrat that the candidate was Abrams also said she would be able to return with an
concede that.” to the governor’s mansion considering the unprece- support John Barrow, the incumbent governor as he
In accepting Abrams’ deci- since 1998. dented move of invoking a Democrat vying to suc- seeks a second term.
sion to end her campaign, He was heavily criticized state law that would let her ceed Kemp as secretary of Abrams’ political future is
Kemp said he appreciated for refusing to step down challenge the results based state in a runoff next month. less certain. She made be-
“her passion, hard work, from his post overseeing on “misconduct, fraud or Kemp stormed to the GOP lievers of old-guard Demo-
and commitment to pub- elections in which he was a irregularities ... sufficient to nomination with ads fea- crats in Georgia who didn’t
lic service.” “The election candidate. Abrams’ cam- change or place in doubt turing everything from think a black woman could
is over and hardworking paign accused him of try- the results.” But ultimately the candidate cranking compete in a general elec-
Georgians are ready to ing to suppress the votes she declined to do so. a chain saw and jokingly tion, and she emerged as
move forward,” he said. of minorities by purging Instead, Abrams said she pointing a gun toward the party’s clear leader. But
“We can no longer dwell voter rolls and implement- would fight to restore integ- a teen male suitor of his the party also has plenty of
on the divisive politics of ing a state law requiring rity to Georgia’s election daughter, to Kemp’s offer other ambitious politicians
the past but must focus that the names of voters on system in a new initiative to “round up criminal ille- who will want to take ad-
on Georgia’s bright and their registration forms ex- called “Fair Fight Georgia.” gals” himself in his pickup vantage of the path that
promising future.” Kemp, a actly match those on their “In the coming days, we truck. He’s promised a tax Abrams’ has laid out.
55-year-old businessman, government identification. will be filing a major federal cut and teacher pay raises The next big shot for Demo-
had been secretary of state Kemp said he was trying lawsuit against the state of and pledged to continue crats is a 2020 Senate race,
since 2010. He was backed to maintain the integrity of Georgia for the gross mis- Georgia’s refusal to ex- with Republican Sen. David
by and had embraced Georgia’s voter rolls. management of this elec- pand Medicaid insurance Perdue making his first re-
President Donald Trump as Officials from Abrams’ tion and to protect future under President Barack election attempt.q

GOP prepares to subpoena

Comey, Lynch before losing power

By MARY CLARE JALONICK tified colleagues that he in a probe into her email
Associated Press will subpoena Comey for use and Justice officials
WASHINGTON (AP) — a closed-door deposition launched an investigation
House Republicans who Nov. 29 and Lynch for Dec. into Trump’s campaign
have spent the last two 5, according to a person and Russia. Both Comey
years arguing that there familiar with the subpoe- and Lynch were in power
was bias in President nas. The person declined during that time.
Barack Obama’s Justice to be identified because Republicans on the House
Department are preparing the person was not autho- Judiciary and Oversight
to subpoena two key wit- rized to speak publicly on and Government Reform
nesses in the final weeks the matter. panels have argued that
of their majority — former The subpoenas are part Justice officials were con-
FBI Director James Comey of an investigation by two spiring against Trump’s
and former Attorney Gen- GOP-led committees into election, and they have in-
In this April 7, 2017, file photo. former U.S. Attorney General eral Loretta Lynch. decisions made by the de- terviewed multiple current
Loretta Lynch speaks during a conference on policy and blacks
at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in House Judiciary Com- partment during the 2016 and former Justice officials
Cambridge, Mass. mittee Chairman Robert election, when Democrat behind closed doors in an
Associated Press Goodlatte, R-Va., has no- Hillary Clinton was cleared effort to prove their case.q