Dems go all-out to recruiting Stacey Abrams to run for U.S. Senate seat in 2020

Democrats are doing a full-court press to draft Stacey Abrams into Georgia’s 2020 Senate race, a move that would put in play a state that hasn’t gone blue in two decades and could reshape the party’s path to retaking the Senate majority.

The problem is that Abrams still has hopes of becoming governor — it’s where she could have the most direct impact on issues like voting rights — and isn’t sold on the Senate. But the pressure on her to run in 2020, capitalizing on her rise to national prominence last year and her continued popularity in Georgia despite losing the 2018 governor’s race, is only growing.

Abrams is giving serious consideration to a Senate run, and she met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in recent weeks. As she deliberates, Abrams also sat down with three of the most prominent African-Americans in the Democratic Party: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who has been close with Abrams since they overlapped in law school, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). Lewis said that he wasn’t urging Abrams to choose a path forward, but that he’d be a “strong supporter” of whatever she does next. Abrams has also been keeping supporters fired up with a statewide tour billed as an opportunity to thank her backers in 2018.

State Rep. Al Williams, a close ally of Abrams’, said Abrams is getting the “hard sell” from national and local Democrats who want her to run in 2020, but that she hasn’t indicated to him whether she’s leaning towards or against a run.

“The Democratic Party certainly needs candidates like Stacey Abrams, so there will be a lot of push for her to run,” Williams said.

The biggest thing in the way of that push is Abrams' ambition to be Georgia's governor. “She's the obvious frontrunner for the race. But I still think she wants to be the governor and she always has, and that's going to weigh on her,” said Jason Carter, Democrats' 2014 gubernatorial nominee and the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter.

Read more: Dems go all-out to land top Senate recruit: Stacey Abrams

Kamala Harris official campaign kickoff speech

Speaking at Oakland's City Hall, Kamala Harris officially launched her 2020 campaign for President of the United States. Watch her speech below:

Ethics complaint against Andrew Gillum will proceed

An ethics complaint against former Florida gubernatorial candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum will proceed after the state ethics commission found probable cause at a hearing Friday that he had accepted gifts, Gillum's lawyer confirmed.

Gillum faced six counts related to soliciting and accepting gifts -- including rental accommodations in Costa Rica, a boat ride to see the Statue of Liberty and tickets to see the Broadway musical "Hamilton" in 2016 -- Gillum's attorney Barry Richard told CNN.

"There's conflicting testimony as to what happened," he said.

At the hearing, the Florida ethics commission advocate considered the facts of the case and "recommended no probable cause on the account for soliciting gifts, and she recommended probable cause on the remaining counts, which were accepting gifts that exceeded $100," Richard said.

Florida law bans state officials from accepting gifts worth more than $100.

Read more: Ethics complaint against Andrew Gillum will proceed

Black Voters: What gives you the most pause about supporting Kamala Harris

By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

On January 21st Senator Kamala Harris announced her run for President of the United States.

This was met be with a lot of enthusiasm by many including women, some progressives, and of course her sorors the AKAs, but with skepticism from some black voters.

What led to that skepticism are aspects of her record as , district attorney, and California Attorney General that became more widely known, and although not many some black men take issue with the fact that she did not marry a black man ( These men are akin to those black men in Georgia who refused to vote for Stacey Abrams).

There are also general voter issues with her candidacy such as her Wall Street ties, some feel that she is not progressive enough, and her perceived lack of experience.

Some are not going to like the face that I raised these issues but they must be discussed if we are going to have a serious discussion about Harris's candidacy, and she must have an answer for them if she is serious about her candidacy. Voters deserve answers to those questions.

I for one don't like her criminal justice record and have some concerns about her Wall Street ties but don't care about who she is married to or about her lack of experience as the same claims were made about former President Obama. I'm willing to listen to her and make a better-informed decision after her full platform is out there.

What do you think? I would love to see your responses below.

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Interim President and CEO Statement on the Resignation of Board Chair Rep. Jackson Lee

WASHINGTON—Dr. Elsie L. Scott, interim president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF), released the following statement regarding the resignation of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as chair of the Foundation’s board of directors.

“The mission of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) is to advance the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy, and educating the public. As chair of CBCF’s board of directors, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s longstanding commitment to inspire young people to become involved in their communities and government, coupled with her outstanding leadership and vision, helped the Foundation fulfil its mission.

We are grateful for Rep. Jackson Lee’s unswerving commitment to the Foundation, and her efforts to help shape and elevate our programming for the last two years as chair, and a number of years as a board member.

The congresswoman values the Foundation’s ideals and does not want to be a distraction during the legal proceedings of the suit filed against the CBCF.

While the board selects an interim chair, CBCF will continue to facilitate academic, leadership and professional development opportunities for emerging black leaders.”