Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams claimed in a Wednesday interview with MSNBC that abortion restrictions are at the root of voters' concerns about inflation.
Abrams's comment came after MSNBC's Mike Barnicle asked how she would alleviate Georgia voters' concerns about inflation, noting that abortion "nowhere reaches the level of interest of voters" as the increased cost of living.
"Let's be clear. Having children is why you're worried about your price for gas. It's why you’re concerned about how much food costs," Abrams responded. "For women, this is not a reductive issue. You can't divorce being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy from the economic realities of having a child."
According to a poll by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, 69 percent of Georgia likely voters ranked cost of living and the economy as the most important issues in this year's election. With the U.S. economy struggling under the Biden administration, Abrams is among many Democratic candidates trying to divert voters' attention from inflation to abortion, hoping the overturning of Roe v. Wade will energize their voter base. Voters in Wisconsin this week chided Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes for his singular focus on abortion and not talking enough about the economy.
Throughout her campaign, Abrams has attacked Georgia's recently passed heartbeat bill, which bans abortions once a heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks. Last month, she falsely claimed that a heartbeat heard at six weeks is "a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman's body."
Abrams is trailing Republican governor Brian Kemp by 5.6 points, according to RealClearPolitics's most recent report.