Rep. Seth Moulton (D., Mass.) claimed Sunday that racism was the reason Stacey Abrams (D) lost her race for governor of Georgia.
Moulton took on the question of racism as part of a CNN town hall Sunday evening. Maria Fernandez, a member of the audience, asked the congressman about his plan to fight racism beyond supporting criminal justice reform.
"What is your plan to lead the dismantling of systemic racism in this country to drive justice for marginalized groups?" she asked to applause.
"We have a problem with racism in America today," Moulton said. "If this country wasn't racist, Stacey Abrams would be governor."
Rep. Seth Moulton: Stacey Abrams would be Georgia's governor "if this country wasn’t racist" https://t.co/pJzxHA7gxC #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/cQ99wLVNLj
— CNN (@CNN) June 2, 2019
Abrams ran for governor of in 2018, losing to Brian Kemp (R., Ga.).
Following her loss, Abrams refused to concede the race and claimed that "democracy failed." She pointed to voter suppression and registration laws as the reason for the result.
Abrams garnered the highest Democratic turnout in the state's history. Overall voter turnout increased fourteen percentage points from 2014 to 2018 in Georgia's gubernatorial race.
Election experts have reviewed Abrams' claims. One explained to Politifact that there is "no good evidence" supporting her explanation for the results. Nevertheless, Abrams has continued to claim she is the rightful governor of the state. She accuses Republicans of having "stole[n]" the election.
Another Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) claimed last month that Abrams lost because "states across our country passed laws to suppress the vote."
"Let's say this loud and clear," Harris said at a presidential campaign town hall. "Without voter suppression, Stacey Abrams would be the governor of Georgia."
On Sunday, Moulton promised he would "fight relentlessly to ensure that there are not two sets of laws, one for white one for black." Instead, he explained, "everyone in America is subject to the same laws."
After her loss, Abrams, who herself has teased a presidential run, has launched a voting rights group called Fair Fight.