All eyes were on Georgia Tuesday night as votes were being tallied in the runoff election to determine whether Democrats or Republicans would control the Senate. Hollywood players mainly backed Democratic nominee Raphael Warnock, who beat incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler, and Democrat Jon Ossoff, who has a razor-thin lead over Republican David Perdue, but one hero emerged from the political theater: Stacey Abrams.
Many Hollywood stars, journalists and politicians praised Abrams for her organizing work in getting out the vote for the runoff election and building a Democratic infrastructure in her state, which has leaned Republican in the last several elections. Abrams has spent the last decade working to flip Georgia via her New Georgia Project and Fair Fight, a voting rights organization she founded after losing her bid for governor in 2018. It is highly expected that she runs for the office again in 2022, after serving as the minority leader in Georgia’s House of Representatives and becoming the first Black female candidate from a major party to run for governor.
“When the time comes I want Stacey Abrams to run my Golden Globes nomination campaign,” joked Prentice Penny, the showrunner of HBO’s “Insecure.”
When the time comes I want #StacyAbrams to run my Golden Globes nomination campaign.
— Prentice Penny (@The_A_Prentice) January 6, 2021
“What Stacey Abrams has done in inestimable and patriotic and heroic!” wrote Michael Keaton.
What Stacey Abrams has done is inestimable and patriotic and heroic!
“Like an old sweet song….”— Michael Keaton (@MichaelKeaton) January 6, 2021
“Stacey Abrams is a real superhero. Once again saving us all,” said Mark Ruffalo, best known for playing the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
.@staceyabrams is a real superhero. Once again saving us all. pic.twitter.com/rOEFUM63Hs
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 6, 2021
“It’s time for new statues in the state of Georgia. Start with Stacey Abrams, Latosha Brown, a little splash of white male decency, Raffensberger, and all of Georgia’s voting heroes,” said comedian Chelsea Handler. “This is a beautiful day in the history of America and just what we needed to come out of 2020.”
It’s time for a new statues in the state of Georgia. start with Stacey Abrams, Latosha Brown, a little splash of white male decency, Raffensberger, and all of Georgia’s voting heroes. This is a beautiful day in the history of America and just what we needed to come out of 2020.
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) January 6, 2021
“Stacey Abrams, what do you know about vaccine distribution?” joked “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah’s” Twitter account.
.@StaceyAbrams what do you know about vaccine distribution
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) January 6, 2021
See more reactions below.
To leader @staceyabrams and all the organizers, volunteers, canvassers and groups in #georgia .. thank you for your work and showing the power of the vote. pic.twitter.com/CL1kXNTCon
— Loni Love (@LoniLove) January 6, 2021
🇺🇸 Thank you @staceyabrams – you are a beacon of hope for what can be done in this great country! 🇺🇸
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) January 6, 2021
brace yourself, we’re going to see a piece of artwork that has MF DOOM, kobe, rbg, and john lewis looking down lovingly at stacey abrams.
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) January 6, 2021
This is 100 percent true. @staceyabrams is the kind of data geek they should have listened to since she thinks in numbers and networks and systems and laid out her whole plan for winning with humility. As I saw far too many walking out, I thought: Arrogance thy name is tech. https://t.co/N69qQfU3bV
— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) January 6, 2021
I’ll never forget first time I met the most wonderful, most unusual @staceyabrams. @karaswisher and I interviewed her, then we had dinner afterwards. District by district she knew how to turn Ga blue. A Voting “Savant”, I thought. A leader & an operative. https://t.co/1in9gN99a2
— Hilary Rosen (@hilaryr) January 6, 2021
The misogynist, racist President and his cowardly accomplices in Georgia were beaten in no small part because of Stacey Abrams’ and others’, voter registration efforts. And now, a Black man from Martin Luther King’s & John Lewis’ Church is heading to the Senate. Karma is a bitch.
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) January 6, 2021
Stacey Abrams is a fucking hero
— Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) January 6, 2021
Gratitude to all the activists the organizers and volunteers who’ve worked so hard to help make history tonight God Bless America and Stacey Abrams 🇺🇸 now the real work begins. 😷😷✊🏿🏳️🌈💙👏👏
— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) January 6, 2021
Tonight I hate Covid for depriving Stacey Abrams of a rightful bodysurf across DeKalb County.
— Molly McNearney (@mollymcnearney) January 6, 2021
Stacey Abrams
should be Time’s Person of the Year! https://t.co/y8qTrPhz0S— Richard Schiff (@Richard_Schiff) January 6, 2021
American Hero, Founding Mother…
Thank you, Stacey Abrams@staceyabrams #staceyabrams pic.twitter.com/7MgHJyXpIZ
— Wilson Cruz (@wcruz73) January 6, 2021