Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images A State Senator Is Amongst Those Arrested On Tuesday, 15 people were arrested during a protest at Georgia’s Capitol building in Atlanta, according to NBC News . The protesters were demanding that the uncounted ballots from last week’s gubernatorial race be tallied. Democrat Stacey Abrams is going against Republican Brian Kemp for governor and the race is still too close to call. So far, Kemp holds a lead over Abrams of less than 58,000 votes as of Tuesday. Demonstrators on Tuesday were chanting to “count every vote,” according to law enforcement. Georgia State Patrol told NBC News that the demonstrators were arrested for unlawfully disrupting “orderly conduct of official business” at the state capital building. Amongst the people arrested on Tuesday was Sen. Nikema Williams , who was additionally charged with misdemeanor obstruction of justice. State patrol said that the protestors were taken to the Fulton County Jail. Williams spoke about her arrest to The Washington Post . She said she was apprehended “because I refused to leave the floor of this building where I’m a state senator.” She went on to say that the protest was peaceful. Protestors have set up a bail fund site for anyone who wants to donate to the cause. The race between Abrams and Kemp comes a week after Election Day as Georgia officials continue to tally uncounted ballots in the race. Earlier Tuesday, a federal judge ordered Georgia to guard against the improper rejection of provisional ballots and to hold off until Friday to confirm the state’s election results. Abrams is hoping to narrow Kemp’s lead so that a mandatory recount or a runoff can happen. State law requires a candidate has more than 50 percent of the vote in order to win outright. Kemp currently has 50.3 percent of the overall vote. Meanwhile, Abrams has not conceded the race, despite pressure from Kemp who has already declared victory.
Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp is resigning Thursday amid a gubernatorial race that is still too close to call 2 days after the election. His democratic opponent Stacey Abrams has been bringing attention to alleged voter suppression all over the state, and it’s made the high stakes race very ugly. Brian Kemp’s resignation, which effective is at 11:59 a.m. Thursday, comes after he tried to declare victory on the race, but the Abrams team quickly shut that down stating votes were still being counted. We will see how this effects the rest of the race and if this will prompt a runoff. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Source: Georgia Public Broadcasting / Georgia Public Broadcasting According to Stacey Abrams camp, Fulton County did not have the adequate amount of machines for voters. They discovered 700 wrapped machines in a warehouse. This evidence is mote proof of widespread voter suppression throughout the state. Three of the four largest counties in the state – DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb – have reported only a portion of the votes that were submitted by early mail. In Cobb County alone, anywhere between 25,000 and 26,000 votes were submitted early by mail. Four other large counties – Chatham, Henry, Douglas, and Clarke – have reported exactly 0 votes by mail. Absentee ballots represent another major pickup opportunity for Abrams. In Gwinnett County alone, more than 20,000 absentee ballots are waiting to be counted. Additionally there is an unknown number of absentee ballots that were potentially wrongly rejected which will also need to be counted. An historic number of provisional and paper ballots were cast throughout Georgia, these have yet to be counted. Machine breakdowns and shoddy election administration on the part of Secretary of State Brian Kemp contributed to the exceedingly large number of provisional and paper ballots. We will continue to update the public as more info arrises.
B en Jealous fell short in his effort to become governor of Maryland when he lost the election on Tuesday night to incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. NBC News projected Hogan’s win. The former NAACP president had been leaning on his roots in civil rights in his unsuccessful bid to become the first African-American governor in Maryland. While Jealous, 45, had been consistently polling behind Hogan, he made some strong moves ahead of Election Day, including recruiting legendary comedian Dave Chappelle to knock on doors and encourage people to vote for him. One major platform that appealed to Black people, in particular, was Jealous’ plan to increase funding for and bring better academic programs to the states historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). “I’ve put a detailed plan on the table to ensure that we finally treat our state’s HBCUs fairly,” Jealous recently told the AFRO. “We’ve been underfunding public higher education for too long and we need to reorient our state’s priorities back towards making sure we’re preparing our kids for the workforce. As governor, I’m committed to putting an end to this lawsuit and fulfilling the state’s obligations to our HBCUs.” Jealous won the state’s Democratic primary in late June to add to be one of three Black people running for governor, along with Florida’s Andrew Gillum and Georgia’s Stacey Abrams. SEE ALSO: Stacey Abrams’ Unapologetically Black Journey To The Doorstep Of History Political Races To Watch In 2018 Midterm Elections Featuring Black Candidates [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3835357″ overlay=”true”]
T allahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum delivered a powerful debate performance Wednesday night against his Republican rival for Florida governor Ron DeSantis . See Also: White Supremacists Release Anti-Andrew Gillum Robocall Featuring Monkey Sounds Gillum, who’s making a bid to become the state’s first African-American governor, shredded the GOP candidate with his sharp wit and piercing comments. Here are some of his best shots. Here are 5 takeaways from Andrew Gillum's second debate against Ron DeSantis for Florida governor… https://t.co/iIj6fKkA0j #RepresentTheVote pic.twitter.com/tI4UQjYrrm — NewsOne (@newsone) October 25, 2018 DeSantis’ racism When DeSantis was cornered on his close ties to racists, he began raising his voice and getting defensive. “As my grandmother used to say, a hit dog will holler.” He added this gem: “I’m not calling him a racist. But the racists believe he’s a racist.” As my grandmother used to say — a hit dog will holler. pic.twitter.com/kC34Ldd0is — Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) October 25, 2018 Political divisiveness The candidates were asked whether the divisiveness in the nation’s political discourse has pushed some people to the edge, prompting actions like sending pipe bombs in the mail to high-profile Democrats. Gillum argued that DeSantis is part of the problem. He pointed to comments DeSantis made on Fox News in which he warned Floridians not to “monkey this up” by voting for his Black opponent. Soon after DeSantis blew that racist dog whistle, neo-Nazis began sending out robocalls that included jungle music and monkey calls in the background. “My opponent has run this race very close to the Trump handbook where we call each other names.” Teacher salaries Gillum noted that teachers’ salaries in Florida are ranked the 45th lowest of the 50 states. “If my grandmother was here, she wouldn’t just say that’s a shame, she would say that’s a crying shame.” Gillum called out DeSantis for telling lies about his policy positions “In the last debate, Mr. DeSantis lied 21 times. Now, today makes the 22nd, and we’ve just started this debate.” “Mr. DeSantis in the last debate lied 21 times. 21 times. And now today makes the 22nd and we just started this debate.” – @AndrewGillum #FLGovDebate pic.twitter.com/L6r7zXdpDE — Brynna Quillin (@brynnaquillin) October 24, 2018 Medicaid expansion and healthcare policy DeSantis tried desperately to defend his multiple votes in Congress to end Obamacare without having a suitable replacement. Gillum explained to the former congressman that healthcare is a top issue for Floridians. He recalled his childhood experiences. “I remember having to wait for the free dental clinic to come through my neighborhood to have my teeth cleaned.” DeSantis questioned the moderator’s data from the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office’s report that rejected the healthcare plan that the former congressman and his GOP colleagues promoted. Gillum delivered this zinger. “Mr. DeSantis could have a monopoly on his opinion, but he doesn’t have a monopoly on facts. Facts matter.” Corruption scandal One of the big questions before the debate rematch was how Gillum would respond to an onslaught from DeSantis over an FBI probe into possible Tallahassee government corruption, in which the mayor was reportedly not the target of the investigation. On Tuesday, text messages were made public about the source of tickets Gillum received to the Broadway musical “Hamilton” that appear to contradict his statements at the first debate on the issue. “In the state of Florida we have 99 issues, and Hamilton ain’t one of them.” The Republican taxes overhaul Gillum called the GOP tax overhaul that boosted the bottom line for corporations a failure for working class families. The Republicans promised that there would be a “magical trickle down” to poor people. Instead of a pay raise to working class families, the tax overhaul gave the nation something else. “They have drilled a deep hole into the national debt and working people haven’t seen any appreciable rise in their wages.” . @AndrewGillum delivered a powerful rejection of Trump's hateful politics of division at last night's debate for Florida governor. We're with Gillum! pic.twitter.com/FuO5cOLsFV — MoveOn (@MoveOn) October 22, 2018 Families continue to struggle financially While the Trump administration and Republicans tout falling unemployment rates, wages have not increased. “Forty-four percent of people in the state of Florida say they can’t make ends meet at the end of the month. Mr. DeSantis’ big donors may be doing just fine. They’ve got their yachts and boats. For the rest of the working people in this state, they simply want a wage they could live on.” Immigration “We’re not going to criminalize people of their personhood simply because you’re a brown-skinned person or that you speak a language that may be of a foreign tongue to Mr. DeSantis or you live in a neighborhood that may include more brown people. That doesn’t, in and of itself, subject you to racial profiling. That’s the essence of what he would be promoting.” SEE ALSO: Ron DeSantis’ Racist History Didn’t Just Begin With His ‘Monkey’ Attack On Andrew Gillum Megyn Kelly Hypocritical On Abuse Of Women [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3833255″ overlay=”true”]
As you’ve likely peeped by now, Will Smith finally broke down and joined his wife Jada (alongside his daughter and mother-in-law) for an episode of Red Table Talks , and got deep into the inner workings of his relationship with his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. Here’s how it went from his own perspective… Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/YouTube
On this week’s episode of State of the Culture, Joe, Jinx, Remy and Scottie weigh in on the Drake Drama that ensued on Joe’s other show , Arianna’s broken engagement, and what Lebron’s LA is looking like. Johnny Nunez/WireImage/YouTube/REVOLT
Source: Pool / Getty T he race to be Florida’s next governor became that much clearer after the first debate between candidates Sunday night. Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum decidedly out-dueled his Republican opponent Ron DeSantis , showing that the Tallahassee mayor had a major advantage on multiple fronts weeks ahead of Election Day next month. DeSantis, a former congressman who left office under a shroud of controversy, has routinely resorted to racist rhetoric during this contentious campaign. And while much of that type of talk was absent from the debate, it became increasingly and painfully obvious that he was not qualified for any elected office, let alone the governorship of Florida. As a result, there were five distinct takeaways from the one-sided debate that needed to be emphasized. 1. Gillum is head and shoulders above DeSantis when it comes to the issues. From the start of the debate, Gillum was all about policy and issues, punctuating his political knowledge with a quip about how he would be “a governor that believes in science,” a slick reference to DeSantis denying the proof behind climate change. Democrat Andrew Gillum on how to deal with industries hurting the environment: “We are going to hold them accountable because this is our air, our water, our beaches, our oceans and there is not a profit margin in this state big enough to take control of that.” #FLGovDebate pic.twitter.com/IrUcjZ1HkT — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 22, 2018 Gillum said he was incredulous that DeSantis was against solar energy, especially considering how Florida is known as the “Sunshine State.” The Tallahassee mayor also showed his masterful knowledge on taxes and Medicaid , two other issues important to Florida voters. Andrew Gillum roasts the Florida GOP’s climate change denial: “What Florida voters need to know is that when they elect me governor they’re gonna have a governor who believes in science, which we haven’t had for quite some time in this state.” #FLGovDebate pic.twitter.com/IxEHsOS1Uw — Adam Best (@adamcbest) October 22, 2018 2. DeSantis is extremely disrespectful. The former congressman who resigned in April in part because of a House ethics complaint against him repeatedly cut off Gillum’s well-articulated debate responses while continuously calling Gillum by his first name. Moderator Jake Tapper announced the two had only met in person moments before the debate began, making it even more noticeable how DeSantis called Gillum “Andrew” while Gillum called DeSantis by more respectful terms, such as “congressman” or “my opponent.” It is notable that @AndrewGillum calls @RepDeSantis “Congressman” and DeSantis calls him “Andrew.” Gillum is still Mayor of Tallahassee, and DeSantis is not even a Congressman anymore. It is clear what his word choice implies. — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) October 22, 2018 Ron DeSantis calling Andrew Gillum by his first name feels a lot like him trying to call him “boy.” — Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) October 22, 2018 Adding insult to injury, DeSantis ducked accusations of racism despite his rhetoric revealing the opposite and repeatedly lied about Gillum’s record, including an embellished and disproven report about Tallahassee’s murder rate. 3. Jake Tapper did a horrible job moderating. The CNN anchor kept cutting off Gillum during his responses while seemingly ignoring how DeSantis made a habit of going well over his 70-second allotted time for his own responses. @jaketapper quit cutting Gillum off. — kimmiesue (@Kimzjourney) October 22, 2018 Damn, @jaketapper ’s bias is showing so clearly in this debate. He’s giving DeSantis more time, let’s him ignore the question and sits silently as DeSantis continuously interrupts Gillum. This debate should put to rest the idea that Tapper is fair and balanced. — A Little Royal (@alittlebitroyal) October 22, 2018 I could be wrong here but it seems like Tapper is giving DeSantis more time and rudely interrupting Gillum more. And I think Gillum is wiping the floor with DeSantis! — Janni Rae (@JanShar44080635) October 22, 2018 To top it off, Tapper didn’t ask a handful of questions that Florida voters may have wanted to hear, including the contentious topic of the state’s Stand Your Ground law , which has come under renewed scrutiny lately and seemingly gives white gun owners a get out of jail free card for shooting Black people in Florida. 4. DeSantis is a Trump loyalist through and through. He blindly lent his loyalty to the president and even said Donald Trump was a role model for kids. Gillum offered the perfect response. This was the moment of the debate for me: @AndrewGillum gives the PERFECT reaction to DeSantis' weird answer about Trump being a role model for kids. Perfect. And hilarious. #FLGovDebate pic.twitter.com/wP608iIxIA — Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) October 22, 2018 5. This campaign isn’t even a contest. Gillum showed he and DeSantis are not operating on an even level in any capacity, but especially politically and intellectually. The Tallahassee mayor outshined him on every topic that came up and showed himself to be a more personable and likable candidate. In addition, Gillum was and has been polling ahead of DeSantis. But, of course, as the entire country knows from 2016, polling means little to nothing until the Election Day results are tallied. Gillum got me sending him money for his campaign and I live in the North East. He's winning this debate and he will win the election. Now monkey that up DeSantis as you're spluttering all over the place. Gillum clearly has you rattled! #FLGovDebate pic.twitter.com/aLpSIQFLai — Dipped in Chocolate (@nativenuyorker_) October 22, 2018 All the more reason to go vote on Nov. 6. SEE ALSO: Andrew Gillum Suspended Campaign Activity But For All The Right Reasons Gillum Takes High Road During Hurricane Michael While GOP Throws Low Blows [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3832778″ overlay=”true”]
Updated October 18, 2018, 2:30 p.m., EDT Outrage on social media prompted Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp to delete a controversial video from his office’s website, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Thursday. The video purportes to educate voters on Georgia’s advance voting procedures. Instead, the video created a furor because it features a Black child actor who failed to bring the acceptable government-issued voter ID to cast a ballot. Although the video was first posted in 2016, it remained on the site until Thursday. Kemp, who’s overseeing the state’s election system while also running for governor against a Black opponent, has been accused of using multiple schemes to suppress the Black vote. The video was viewed as part of his ongoing efforts. Georgia sends a racist voter suppression message with this video. It's one more tool in Brian Kemp's arsenal to target Black voters … https://t.co/Kqkmjet9Yx pic.twitter.com/gTrEFLP3jc — NewsOne (@newsone) October 18, 2018 Original Story: B lack Georgia voters searching the secretary of state’s website for information on advance voting will find a blatant message apparently intended to discourage them from voting. The message comes as a part of Secretary of State Brian Kemp ’s voter suppression package that is meant to help him and other Republicans win elections. He’s competing against Stacey Abrams who could become the nation’s Black woman governor. See Also: Georgia Removed Scores Of Voter From Its Rolls As Stacey Abrams Tries To Make History, Lawsuit Says The video , one of several voter information films on the official state site , explains how advance voting works in Georgia, using children to illustrate the process of in-person voting prior to Election Day. In the opening scene, a white kid walks into the election station and is directed to a clerk who takes a look at his government-issued ID card and allows him to cast a ballot. Moments later, a Black girl walks up to the clerk but searches frantically in her pocketbook for an ID card. She’s given a provisional ballot. The narrator later warns that provisional ballot voters, like the little Black girl, have three days after Election Day to present an acceptable ID or else their vote won’t count. Wow. So on the SOS website #BrianKemp has an advance voting video. Take a look at who gets to vote and who doesn’t. Nice messaging, Kemp. Please just #resign already. #gapol #gagov #TeamAbrams pic.twitter.com/D4gmMeb4Cw — Anjali Enjeti (@anjalienjeti) October 18, 2018 Georgia is one of the 34 states, mostly dominated by GOP lawmakers, which require voters to show some form of government-issued identification at the polls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures . Kemp, who’s in a tight race against Abrams, discourages Black people from casting a ballot by fueling the view among many African-Americans that the voting system is rigged with obstacles against them, so there’s no point in even bothering to cast a ballot. And Georgia’s strict voter ID law is part of Kemp’s voter suppression arsenal that targets Black people. The law disproportionately affects poor people and voters of color. Kemp has also overseen an attempt to block 53,000 voter registration applications —about 70 percent of whom were African-Americans. Added to that, Georgia creates logistical barriers to suppress turnout in rural Black communities. Election officials make every effort to limit the number of polling stations and place them far away from larger population centers where transportation is a problem. Fortunately, voting rights advocates helped to thwart one of the latest attempts in August. SEE ALSO: Where Is Kierra Coles? Everything We Know About Missing Chicago Pregnant Postal Worker Please Stop Giving Racist White Women Adorable Nicknames [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3829244″ overlay=”true”]
F lorida’s GOP party will likely have to lick their wounds after Andrew Gillum has begun fighting back against their attack ads. Gillum had reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to TV stations to stop airing messages from Rob DeSantis , his Republican opponent for the state’s governor race, after suspending his campaign amid Hurricane Michael . RELATED: Andrew Gillum Suspending Campaign Activity But For All The Right Reasons Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, had turned his attention to the tropical storm, which made landfall on Wednesday. However, he found himself on the receiving end of ads that criticized him for his handling of 2016’s Hurricane Hermine, which caused power outages in Tallahassee. The state’s GOP party had begun running the ads as Michael hit the ground, with DeSantis’ campaign being primarily responsible for the ads, Think Progress reported. Andrew Gillum's campaign for Florida governor has sent a cease-and-desist letter to TV stations airing his opponent's attack ad—all while the dangerous #TropicalStormMichael bore down on the state https://t.co/cWUQvVxngR — The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 11, 2018 It’s unusual for political candidates to continue campaigning during natural disasters, however, it’s not impossible. There have also been ads supporting DeSantis that continued to play on Wednesday, reaching residents within the hurricane’s ground zero. Gillum has called out the decision to air the ads at such a sensitive time and in the middle of a potentially life-threatening storm. “We can’t recall a time where candidates for statewide office have not pulled down negative ads during hurricane season,” the gubernatorial candidate said to MSNBC. “You’ve got a whole region of our state, where folks are fleeing for their lives, anticipating what is a life-threatening event impacting this state. I again would encourage my opponent to just subside with the politics.” Florida’s Republican Party decided to walk back the ads, they said on Wednesday, according to Politico . The decision, however, came after former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator and Florida Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate asked the state’s candidates to stop running negative ads. Many in the nation have agreed that the focus should be on residents during Hurricane Michael, not on campaign ads. SEE ALSO: Lawyers Amend Civil Suit Against Daniel Holtzclaw As New Victim Emerges Rapper Fabolous Indicted For Brutally Assaulting The Mother Of His Children [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3831243″ overlay=”true”]
