A romance writer and politician, Stacey Abrams has gained national attention in recent months for her efforts to combat voter suppression in the 2020 elections this fall– efforts that continue with Georgia preparing for its runoff elections on January 5.
As she continues to register and get out the vote, Abrams has received support from romance writers and fans alike through the fundraiser Romancing the Runoff. Organized by Alyssa Cole, Courtney Milan, Donna Herren, and Bree Bridges, the initiative aims to “help dismantle the legacy of voter suppression in Georgia.”
Related: The Best Romance Novels by Stacey Abrams, AKA Selena Montgomery
Joining forces, many romance authors have come together to auction off novels, signed copies of work, individualized classes, and more to raise money for Abram’s Fair Fight and other organizations similarly focused on countering racism and suppression in elections.
Late in November, Abrams announced that she too would contribute to Romancing the Runoff, donating for auction a signed copy of her first novel Rules of Engagement, a work she followed up with hits like Reckless, Hidden Sins, and Secret and Lies. An award-winning author herself, Abrams has published her romances under the pen name Selena Montgomery.
Thanking her fellow romance writers for their support in recent months, Abrams is known to view her place in the romance genre with pride. In a 2018 interview, Abrams explained that she “revel[s] in having been able to be a part of a genre that is read by millions and millions of women, in part because it respects who they are.”
Related: 20 of the Best Romance Books to Get You Through 2020, from Classics to New Reads
The romance community has rallied behind one of their own through the Romancing the Runoff fundraiser, and have already surpassed expectations. Soaring past their original goal of 20,000 dollars, the collective efforts of many within the genre, and literary world more broadly, have already raised nearly 400,000 dollars to aid Georgia’s Democratic candidates for Senate.
Part of a larger push, Romancing the Runoff adds to the massive influx of contributions candidates and organizations have received since Georgia determined their senate races were headed to a runoff. Following the November 3 elections, Abrams helped raise 3.6 million dollars for the Democratic candidates to boost them toward the January 5 runoff.
The two democratic candidates Raphael Warnock, who is running against Republican David Purdue, and Jon Ossoff, who is running against Republican Kelly Loeffler, have the potential to swing the Senate in the Democrats' favor. If they are both elected, the Senate will be split evenly between the Democrats and Republicans in the coming term, which would likely help the Biden administration push forward their agenda with less resistance.
Abrams has also been recognized for her role in Joe Biden’s victory, helping his campaign flip Georgia, a state that has long voted Republican in presidential elections.
Steadfast in her work, Abrams continues to fight to ensure everyone is able to vote and participate in our democracy– now with acclaimed and beloved romance writers at her side.
[via Theguardian.com]
Featured photo: Wikimedia Commons, C.C. BY-SA 2.0
