By Teaganne Finn -
NBC News
Democrat Stacey Abrams has announced that she is running for governor of Georgia in 2022, marking a rematch against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
The activist for the right to vote and former candidate for governor announced her campaign this Wednesday on social networks, saying that "
opportunities in our state should not be determined by zip code
, background or access to power."
Abrams was credited with helping organize black voters in the South of the country to help catapult Democrats to key victories, including President Joe Biden's narrow victory in Georgia in 2020.
Abrams, a former state legislator, has worked on voting rights issues for a decade.
In 2018, she became a household name
when she lost her candidacy for governor, when she accused Republicans of suppressing the vote, hitting mostly black voters.
Abrams has been recognized as an advocate for the African American vote.
Brandon Bell / Reuters
"But if our Georgia is going to move on to its next great chapter, we are going to need leadership," Abrams said in a video.
In a statement released Wednesday, Kemp said that "(Abrams's) far-left agenda of
opening borders, confiscating weapons
, raising taxes and anti-law enforcement policies does not reflect who we are as Georgians."
"The gubernatorial election next November is a battle for the soul of our state," Kemp said.
"I am in the fight against Stacey Abrams, Biden's failed agenda, and his liberal allies
,
to keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family."