Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Stacey Abrams

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Stacey Abrams made an impact.

Stacey Abrams is an American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist, and author. She served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017, and as minority leader from 2011 to 2017. A prominent Democrat, Abrams founded Fair Fight Action in 2018, an organization dedicated to combating voter suppression. She is widely recognized for her impactful work in increasing voter turnout in Georgia, particularly in the 2020 presidential election and the 2020-21 Senate elections, which ultimately contributed to Democratic victories.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2002: Appointed Deputy City Attorney

In 2002, at age 29, Stacey Abrams was appointed a deputy city attorney for the City of Atlanta.

2006: Ran for Georgia House of Representatives

In 2006, Stacey Abrams ran for the 84th District for the Georgia House of Representatives and won the Democratic Party primary election with 51% of the vote.

2007: Represented House District 84

In 2007, Stacey Abrams began representing House District 84 in the Georgia House of Representatives.

2007: Georgia House of Representatives

In 2007, Stacey Abrams began serving in the Georgia House of Representatives.

2009: Abrams published her most recent book under pen name Selena Montgomery

In 2009, Abrams published her most recent book under pen name Selena Montgomery.

November 2010: Elected Minority Leader

In November 2010, the Democratic caucus elected Stacey Abrams as minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives.

2010: Co-founded Nourish, Inc.

In 2010, Stacey Abrams co-founded Nourish, Inc., originally conceived as a beverage company.

2011: Minority Leader

In 2011, Stacey Abrams became the minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives.

2011: Stopped Tax Increase

In 2011, Stacey Abrams stopped the largest tax increase in Georgia history by arguing against a Republican proposal and demonstrating its negative impact on most Georgians.

2011: Co-sponsored HOPE Scholarship Legislation

In 2011, as minority leader, Stacey Abrams co-sponsored legislation to reform the HOPE Scholarship program, decreasing the scholarship amount and funding a low-interest loan program.

2013: Represented House District 89

In 2013, following reapportionment, Stacey Abrams began representing House District 89 in the Georgia House of Representatives.

2016: Pledge to oppose religious liberty bill

In 2016, Abrams pledged to oppose legislation similar to the religious liberty bill that Governor Deal vetoed.

August 25, 2017: Resigned from General Assembly

On August 25, 2017, Stacey Abrams resigned from the Georgia General Assembly to focus on her gubernatorial campaign.

2017: End of time at Georgia House of Representatives

In 2017, Stacey Abrams ended her time at the Georgia House of Representatives.

April 2018: Publication of "Minority Leader"

In April 2018, Abrams' book "Minority Leader: How to Lead from the Outside and Make Real Change" was published by Henry Holt & Co.

Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change

Check it on Amazon

November 6, 2018: Lost Gubernatorial Election

On November 6, 2018, Stacey Abrams lost the Georgia gubernatorial election by 54,723 votes.

November 9, 2018: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Investigation Findings

On November 9, 2018, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported its investigation found no evidence of systematic malfeasance in the 2018 Georgia elections.

November 16, 2018: Ended Gubernatorial Campaign and Created Fair Fight Action

On November 16, 2018, Stacey Abrams ended her campaign, emphasizing that it was not a concession, and announced the creation of Fair Fight Action, a voting rights nonprofit organization.

December 2018: Fair Fight Lawsuit Initiated

In December 2018, Fair Fight's lawsuit was initiated, including allegations of unreasonably long lines, the impact of voter ID rules, improper maintenance of voter rolls, inadequate training of poll workers, and the integrity of voting machines.

2018: Featured in "All In: The Fight For Democracy"

In 2018, Abrams was featured in "All In: The Fight For Democracy", a documentary about voter suppression in the United States.

Loading Video...

2018: Fair Fight Action Founded

In 2018, Stacey Abrams founded Fair Fight Action, an organization focused on addressing voter suppression.

2018: Ran for Governor of Georgia

In 2018, Stacey Abrams ran for governor of Georgia and won the Democratic nomination, becoming the first Black woman in the U.S. to be a major party's nominee for governor. She was endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama.

2018: Democratic Nominee for Governor

In 2018, Stacey Abrams was the Democratic nominee in the Georgia gubernatorial election, becoming the first African-American female major-party gubernatorial nominee in the United States; she lost to Brian Kemp by 1.4%.

January 29, 2019: Abrams to deliver response to State of the Union address

On January 29, 2019, Chuck Schumer announced that Abrams would deliver the response to the State of the Union address, making her the first African-American woman to do so.

February 2019: Response to the State of the Union Address

In February 2019, Stacey Abrams became the first African-American woman to deliver a response to the State of the Union address.

April 30, 2019: Abrams declines to run for U.S. Senate in 2020

On April 30, 2019, Abrams announced she would not run for the U.S. Senate in 2020, despite being heavily recruited.

August 17, 2019: Founding of Fair Fight 2020

On August 17, 2019, Abrams announced the founding of Fair Fight 2020, an organization to assist Democrats in building voter protection teams.

2019: Received a vote for Speaker of the U.S. House

In 2019, Abrams received a single vote, from Kathleen Rice, in the election for Speaker of the U.S. House.

2019: Spoke at CFR's Conference on Diversity in International Affairs

In 2019, Abrams spoke at CFR's Conference on Diversity in International Affairs. She also contributed an essay to Foreign Affairs magazine on how identity politics strengthens liberal democracy.

June 2020: Publication of "Our Time Is Now"

In June 2020, Abrams' book "Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America" was published by Henry Holt & Co.

Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America

Check it on Amazon

August 11, 2020: Harris announced as Biden's running mate

On August 11, 2020, Kamala Harris was officially announced as Joe Biden's running mate, after Abrams had actively promoted herself for consideration.

December 2020: Fair Fight Dropped Claims About Voting Machines

In December 2020, Fair Fight dropped the claims about voting machines.

2020: Abrams declines to run for U.S. Senate

In 2020, Abrams declined to run for U.S. Senate after Senator Johnny Isakson announced his resignation, citing a need to focus on ending voter suppression.

2020: Bloomberg contributes to Fair Fight 2020

In 2020, Michael Bloomberg contributed $5 million to Fair Fight 2020, after which Abrams defended his spending.

2020: Boosted Voter Turnout in Georgia

In 2020, Stacey Abrams' efforts were credited with boosting voter turnout in Georgia, including in the presidential election where Joe Biden won the state and in the U.S. Senate elections.

2020: Abrams credited with boosting Democratic votes in Georgia

In 2020, after Biden won the U.S. presidential election, Abrams was credited with boosting Democratic votes in Georgia and new voter registrations. She also served as an elector for the state of Georgia.

February 2021: Federal Judge Ruled on Fair Fight's Claims

In February 2021, a federal judge ruled that Fair Fight's claims about voting machines, voter list security, and polling place issues were resolved by changes in Georgia's election law, or invalidated due to lack of standing to sue.

April 2021: Claims in legal challenge allowed to proceed

In April 2021, a judge allowed some claims in the legal challenge to proceed while rejecting others in the Fair Fight lawsuit.

May 11, 2021: Release of "While Justice Sleeps"

On May 11, 2021, "While Justice Sleeps" by Stacey Abrams was released under her real name.

While Justice Sleeps: A Thriller (Avery Keene Book 1)

Check it on Amazon

May 2021: Publication of "While Justice Sleeps"

In May 2021, Abrams' legal thriller "While Justice Sleeps" was published under her own name.

While Justice Sleeps: A Thriller (Avery Keene Book 1)

Check it on Amazon

December 1, 2021: Abrams announces run for Georgia governor

On December 1, 2021, Abrams announced she would run again for governor of Georgia.

December 2021: Release of "Stacey's Extraordinary Words"

In December 2021, Stacey Abrams released a children's book called "Stacey's Extraordinary Words".

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words (The Stacey Stories)

Check it on Amazon

2021: Now raised Series A

In 2021, Now raised a $9.5 million Series A.

May 24, 2022: Abrams ran unopposed in the Democratic primary

On May 24, 2022, Abrams ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and faced Georgia governor Brian Kemp in the November 8 general election.

October 2022: Federal judge rules against Fair Fight

In October 2022, a federal judge ruled against Fair Fight on remaining claims, stating that Georgia's voting regulations did not violate the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act.