The problem is that the fox is guarding the henhouse; the

Georgia GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp claims victory as Democrat Stacey Abrams declines to concede

November 8 at 1:58 PM

With his race still unresolved, Georgia Republican gubernatorial canadian goose jacket candidate Brian Kemp resigned his position as the state’s top election official and declared victory, drawing a strong rebuke from Democrat Stacey Abrams, whose campaign estimated there were thousands of ballots outstanding or unaccounted for.

uk canada goose outlet Kemp announced at a news conference with Gov. Nathan Deal (R) that he had submitted buy canada goose jacket cheap his resignation as secretary of state and would begin preparing to take over canada goose black friday sale as governor. uk canada goose outlet

canadian goose jacket “We canada goose clearance sale won the race,” Kemp told reporters. “It’s very clear now. We are moving forward with the transition.” canadian goose jacket

Kemp had 50.3 percent of the vote to Abrams’s 48.7 percent as of canada goose clearance midday Thursday, according to the Associated Press. But the canada goose store Abrams campaign argued that balloting had been grossly mishandled, citing reports of voting hurdles and problems with vote counting.

A similar debate is emerging in Florida, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum appeared to back off his election night concession to Republican Ron DeSantis, citing reports of uncounted ballots.

“Our campaign. is monitoring the canada goose situation closely and is ready for any outcome, including canada goose coats a state mandated recount,” the campaign said Thursday in a statement.

cheap Canada Goose This combination of May 20, 2018, photos shows Georgia gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams, left, and Brian Kemp in Atlanta. (John Amis/AP) cheap Canada Goose

Canada Goose online Reports of voting problems were prevalent in both Georgia and Florida, where Canada Goose Jackets Abrams and Gillum ran to be their states’ first black governors. Canada Goose online

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said that Democrats had “boots on the ground” in Georgia and were monitoring the possibility of recounts in Florida.

buy canada goose jacket cheap In both states, they were coordinating with campaigns to see if provisional ballots, or absentee ballots rejected because signatures didn’t match an election standard that Democrats consider to be voter suppression were being counted. buy canada goose jacket cheap

canada goose “We’ve got folks on our voter protection team right now, chasing provisional ballots,” Perez said at a breakfast roundtable sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. “They claim there are something like 22 or 25,000 provisional ballots still out in Georgia. I’ll be honest with you; I don’t believe them. I think there’s more. The problem is that the fox is guarding the henhouse; the person who wants to be governor is overseeing the integrity of the election.” canada goose

Perez also suggested that the close statewide races in Florida could change if every vote cast was counted, a process that could well involve lawsuits.

canada goose uk shop “There’s an army of lawyers canada goose outlet down there now that are working on the recount, and and I’m glad they’re doing that,” said Perez. “Voter suppression buy canada goose jacket is a permanent staple in the [Republican] playbook and that’s a lesson that we have to learn as a party.” canada goose uk shop

[Election results in Florida and Georgia prompt soul searching for African Americans]

canada goose factory sale In Georgia, Kemp’s margin Canada Goose Parka had narrowed Wednesday as election officials counted outstanding ballots. If his share of the vote falls below 50 percent, he and Abrams would face each other in a runoff election. canada goose factory sale

At a news conference, lawyers for the Abrams campaign announced that they were filing a preliminary canada goose coats on sale lawsuit in Dougherty County over problems with mail in ballots and weighing other possible litigation.

Canada Goose Outlet “We are not stopping until we are confident that every vote has been counted,” said Abrams campaign manager Lauren Groh Wargo. Canada Goose Outlet

Georgia voters on Tuesday described hours long lines and polling places struggled with a shortage of voting machines, broken equipment and a dearth of printed provisional ballots.

uk canada goose Canada Goose sale Noting that many of the reports came from communities with large minority populations, voting rights advocates charged Kemp with using his power as the state’s chief election official to interfere with the race. Kemp has strongly denied claims of impropriety. uk canada goose

“The integrity of the process has been clear in Georgia,” canada goose deals he said Thursday. “The election integrity is beyond doubt.”

Nonprofit group Protect Democracy said Kemp’s resignation came just before a federal court hearing in its lawsuit seeking to stop him from overseeing the governor’s race.

“This is a huge victory for democracy and the rule of law,” Larry Schwartztol, counsel for Protect Democracy, said in a statement. “It is a basic constitutional principle that a person may not be a judge in their own case and that’s what Brian Kemp was attempting to be here.”

canada goose coats Kemp called the lawsuit, as well as others filed in the race, “quite honestly, ridiculous.” canada goose Canada Goose online coats

Canada http://www.mycanadagoosejacket.org Goose Parka “We’re going to continue to fight that,” he said. “The votes are not there for her.” Canada Goose Parka

Canada Goose Online Wrangling over cheap Canada Goose gubernatorial balloting in Florida and Georgia came as several key races remained unresolved around the country, including Senate races in Arizona and Florida and close to a dozen House races. Canada Goose Online

Democrats triumphed in a tight Atlanta area congressional race after Republican Rep. Karen Handel conceded to anti gun violence advocate Lucy McBath.

Canada Goose Jackets Handel, who won her seat last year in a special election, wrote on Facebook that she “came up a bit short” in Tuesday’s midterms. Canada Goose Jackets

buy canada goose jacket “Congratulations to Representative Elect Lucy McBath and I send her only good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her,” Handel wrote Thursday buy canada goose jacket.