Georgia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams' continued calls for defunding the police drew a rebuke from 100 sheriffs in the key battleground state.
A joint statement blasted Abrams' role in advancing the "defund the police" movement and support of "soft-on-crime policies that put Georgia families at risk." Incumbent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's campaign website published the statement.
"In stark contrast, Stacey Abrams has repeatedly shown complete disdain for law enforcement and the risk we take every day putting our lives on the line to serve our communities," the statement read. "Ms. Abrams actively serves on the governing board of — and has profited from — an anti-police organization which openly advocates for abolishing prisons and stripping local police departments of their funding.
"Stacey Abrams also supports proposals that put criminals back on our streets and clears their criminal record, and she opposed legislation to crack down on human trafficking when she served in the state legislature.
"These policies and Ms. Abrams' role in advocating for them put Georgia's law enforcement officers and the communities we serve at risk."
The 102 sheriffs signing on to the statement put support behind Kemp's reelection in November for his strong support for police and law and order.
"Over the last four years, Gov. Kemp and his family stood shoulder to shoulder with the men and women serving in Georgia's law enforcement community," the statement began. "Working alongside our departments, Gov. Kemp has championed legislation to recruit and retain more officers into the profession, strengthen penalties for criminals and help keep Georgia's streets safe, and prevent rogue local governments from stripping critical funding and resources from police."
The statement had a call for Abrams to "disavow" her positions amid one of the country's most hotly contested midterm gubernatorial races.
"In these uncertain times, it is critical to our profession that Georgia's leaders stand firmly behind the men and women in law enforcement who keep Georgia families safe," the statement concluded. "We are grateful to have the support of Gov. Kemp and his administration, and we call on Stacey Abrams to disavow the dangerous policies she supports."
Abrams lost to Kemp in the previous gubernatorial election, never conceded the race, and had called Kemp an "illegitimate" governor.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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