The latest round of ads from Democrat Stacey Abrams pivots to her private-sector experience as she tries to appeal to a broader base of supporters -- and attempts to make the most of GOP infighting -- during her second run for governor.
The Democrat’s second TV ad volley, which launched Monday, includes a 30-second spot that features her partnership with Lara Hodgson, the co-founder of the NowAccount small business startup they launched together.
Another spotlights a Macon restaurateur who credited Abrams’ support for helping “pull people back together” during the pandemic. It closes with the woman, identified as Ms. Teresa, saying: “She helps the community, she helps me, she helps everybody.”
With Gov. Brian Kemp and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue locked in a bitter Republican primary battle, Abrams has been free to aim for a larger segment of the electorate. Already an icon to many liberals, Abrams has framed her campaign around a pledge to expand Medicaid.
The latest volley follows a minute-long TV spot earlier this year that focused on how she spent her time since her narrow defeat to Kemp in 2018, including paying off the medical debt of 68,000 Georgians through her Fair Fight Action political organization.
Though the biographic ads were long-planned, they come as Abrams faces new scrutiny into her financial background.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in mid-March that newly released documents showed Abrams’ net worth had grown from roughly $100,000 to more than $3.1 million since her 2018 defeat, thanks largely to speaking gigs and bestselling books.
Disclosures from Kemp revealed his net worth had grown by roughly $3 million since he took office due to investments and real estate holdings that appreciated in value. And Perdue, a former corporate executive, disclosed that he was worth roughly $50 million.
