Dems look to Gillum, Abrams for pathway to victory in tough states
After years of losing gubernatorial elections in Florida and Georgia with middle-of-road candidates, Democrats are trying a different tack, nominating two unabashedly progressive African-American candidates to build the winning message and coalition that eluded the party in 2016.
Andrew Gillum in Florida and Stacey Abrams in Georgia are trying to prove that a progressive message, including expanding health care and ramping up spending on education, can win over voters in these more conservative states that went to President Trump two years ago.
The two candidates are also adopting a similar campaign playbook: seeking to energize liberal and minority voters, while also making inroads among more moderate and Republican-leaning voters, especially in rural areas, who have tended to turn out for the GOP in the past.
To the surprise of many political observers, both Gillum and Abrams have proven much more competitive than expected, giving Democrats a realistic chance at winning the two races — and a potential blueprint for how the party can regain a foothold in state capitals dominated by Republicans.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/407752-dems-look-to-gillum-abrams-for-new-pathway-to-victory-in-florida-georgia?userid=229233
