Stacey Abrams' 'worst state in the country to live' remark in Gwinnett about Republicans' handling of health, incarceration issues makes headlines

“I am tired of hearing about being the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live,” said Abrams before she acknowledged Republicans would attack her for the later part of that statement.

“Let me contextualize. When you’re No. 48 for mental health, when we’re No. 1 for maternal mortality, when you have an incarceration rate that is on the rise and wages are on the decline, then you are not the No. 1 place to live.”

Abrams was one of three guests speakers at the Bluetopia Gala — the other two were U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock — and she spoke to Gwinnett Democrats for just over 21 minutes in the ballroom at the Crown Plaza Northeast in Norcross.

By Monday, however, the gala had made headlines around the world because of Abrams “worst state” remark as national and international news outlets reported on it. As soon as Republicans in Georgia and abroad began to get word of Abrams’ “worst state” comment on Saturday night, they quickly began blasting her for it on social media.

Kemp in particular wasted no time in criticizing Abrams for her comments Saturday night.

“Stacey Abrams may think differently, but I believe Georgia is the best state to live, work, and raise a family,” said Kemp in a post on Twitter. “And Marty, the girls, and I will work hard every day from now until November to keep it that way for four more years!”

Kemp further hammered Abrams for the comment during a virtual press conference with reporters on Monday.

Abrams’ comment is expected to be used in campaign ads, regardless of who the GOP nominee is coming out of this week’s primary, in the months leading up into the November election. Kemp is considered the frontrunner and polls have indicated he has a good shot at winning the nomination without a runoff, but he told reporters he’s taking nothing for granted in the primary.

“I’m glad she said that,” Kemp said. “I don’t think that’s where Georgians are, but that’s why I want to win (the GOP nomination) because I’m going to put my record up against her views and what her record is, and I think we’ll fair very well in November.”

Meanwhile, Perdue, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, also attacked Abrams’ comments on Monday.

“Abrams doesn’t care about Georgia,” Perdue said in a tweet. “She wants to live in the White House. It’s up to us to make sure that never happens.”

Abrams acknowledged during an appearance on MSNBC on Monday night that her message was “inartfully delivered,” but she pushed back against the GOP’s criticisms of the remarks.

She accused Kemp of giving “a narrative about a record that does not reflect reality,” and pointed to his decision to deny pandemic SNAP relief to families as well as reiterating criticisms about the governor’s decision to veto funding in the state budget for HIV protections.

“My point is well intended, which is that for so many Georgians, this is not the No. 1 place to be, but we have the capacity for greatness,” Abrams said. “If people didn’t splice the pieces they like and actually listen to the entire narrative, my point is I want more for Georgia. I believe in our greatness.”

Some of Abrams’ speech on Saturday touched on Gwinnett’s shift from a Republican stronghold to a place where Democrats could win and take the reins of power.

She also highlighted some things she would do if elected governor in November, such as expanding Medicaid — a move she said would create 64,000 jobs in the state — as well as ensuring access to Georgia colleges for students, regardless of whether they are documented residents or not, and addressing housing issues in Georgia.

While she acknowledged the General Assembly passed mental health reform legislation this year, she said half-a-million people who need that care can’t access it without Medicaid expansion.

“We’re going to make sure the state of Georgia does its job,” Abrams said. “We’re going to take care of our people in the state of Georgia.”

A significant bit of her speech, however, focused on Kemp’s record as governor and painting him as a leader who does not care about the issues affecting Georgians. It was telling of Kemp’s place in the contested Republican primary, where former U.S. Sen. David Perdue and other candidates are challenging him, that he was the only GOP candidate that Abrams mentioned in her speech.

Abrams touched on issues ranging from Medicaid expansion to new laws pertaining to how teachers can discuss racial issues with students and what books can be put in school libraries.

She also attacked his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as legislation that allowed permitless carrying of firearms, cutting an item in the state budget that would have expanded Medicaid for people who have HIV.

“Brian Kemp doesn’t care about our families or else he would be doing more to make sure that they were taken care of,” Abrams said. “Instead, in the midst of COVID, he passed a law to protect our companies but did nothing to protect our communities.”