White House hopeful Mike Bloomberg will take part in a voting rights summit in Atlanta on Friday organized by the group Stacey Abrams launched after her 2018 campaign for governor.
The former New York mayor will join Abrams at the invite-only event launched by Fair Fight 2020. State Sen. Nikema Williams, chairwoman of the state Democratic party, will also speak at the summit.
The billionaire mayor was invited because he’s a major financial contributor to Abrams’ Fair Fight organization. He announced in December a $5 million donation to the group, which expanded last year to promote voting rights in 20 states.
He also plans to meet with activists in West Atlanta and attend fundraisers for local candidates while he's in Georgia on Friday.
Abrams, seen as a potential running-mate, has not endorsed Bloomberg or any other 2020 candidate. But each of the top contenders have courted her, and she’s urged them to make ballot access a key part of their campaign platform.
It will be Bloomberg's second visit to Georgia since announcing his run for president in November, following a stop in Augusta a month ago where he appeared with Mayor Hardie Davis, who endorsed his campaign.
Georgia has attracted visits from dozens of candidates this campaign cycle, but only one contender – U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren – has established a significant campaign apparatus in the state.
Bloomberg hopes to make a stand in the larger states that hold primaries after the first round of ballots – including Georgia and its March 24 primary. He hired Howard Franklin, a local Democratic operative, and recently financed a round of ads in Georgia.
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