Oprah, Trump, Obama: Georgia’s star-studded closing act
ATLANTA — Oprah Winfrey is bringing her star power to one of the nation’s hottest governor’s races, even as President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama try to put their imprint on the Georgia election.
Winfrey is joining Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams for two town hall-style events Thursday, the same day Vice-President Mike Pence travels to the state for several rallies with Republican Brian Kemp.
Trump and Obama will follow with their party’s respective candidates over the following three days. Former President Jimmy Carter, an Abrams supporter and former Georgia governor, garnered significant attention already this week with a personal plea that Kemp resign as secretary of state, Georgia’s chief elections official, to ensure public confidence in the results of what’s expected to be a close race.
The blitz underscores the high stakes in one of the defining contests of next week’s midterms, as Abrams vies to become the first black female governor in American history, while Kemp tries to maintain the GOP’s dominance in a state Democrats believe is on the cusp of becoming a presidential battleground.