Rep. Seth Moulton (D., Mass.) blamed "gerrymandering" for Stacey Abrams's loss last year in the Georgia governor's race, a nonsensical explanation for a statewide defeat.
Moulton, reacting Thursday to the Supreme Court saying decisions on gerrymandering were beyond the scope of federal courts, tweeted the Court's decision was "absurd and un-American."
"Make no mistake: the partisan gerrymandering SCOTUS just allowed is also racial gerrymandering—a modern-day Jim Crow" Moulton wrote. "Just look at what happened with Stacey Abrams last cycle in Georgia."
"This is Mitch McConnell’s doing," he went on. "If he cared about his country more than his party, we would have a Supreme Court that actually represents the American people. We need to abolish the filibuster to end his undemocratic hold on our country, & we need @AmyMcGrathKY to beat him."
Abrams refused to officially concede and has complained for months that her election loss was rigged by Republican Brian Kemp, Georgia's former secretary of state, through a variety of voter suppression methods and precinct closings. While those claims are disputed by the facts, Abrams has never blamed her defeat on gerrymandering.
Theoretically, the legislature could draw the most unfair district maps in the country to minimize the impact of the opposition's votes, but in a statewide race, every vote counts the same regardless of from it was cast.
This is absurd and un-American. Every presidential candidate should commit to running on a New Voting Rights Act. That means:
- Ending gerrymandering
- Ending voter suppression
- Automatic voter registration
- Statehood for PR and DC
- PTO for voting
- Nat'l holiday for e-day https://t.co/L0zA08fxtu— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) June 27, 2019
Make no mistake: the partisan gerrymandering SCOTUS just allowed is also racial gerrymandering—a modern-day Jim Crow. Just look at what happened with Stacey Abrams last cycle in Georgia. https://t.co/x2kIgBNAw9
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) June 27, 2019
This is Mitch McConnell’s doing. If he cared about his country more than his party, we would have a Supreme Court that actually represents the American people.
We need to abolish the filibuster to end his undemocratic hold on our country, & we need @AmyMcGrathKY to beat him.
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) June 27, 2019
Moulton is one of 25 Democratic 2020 presidential candidates, but he failed to make the stage for the first debates held this week.
He's not alone in expressing sympathy or praise for Abrams, who has not ruled out a presidential campaign herself.
Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke called Abrams his "hero," and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.), and others have repeated her claim that the race was stolen from her.