Stacey Abrams: 5 things to know about Biden’s potential vice presidential nominee

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Most vice presidential nominee contenders don’t publicly campaign for the job.

But Stacey Abrams – who’s spent a lifetime breaking barriers – isn’t the typical running mate candidate.

“I would be an excellent running mate. I have the capacity to attract voters by motivating typically ignored communities. I have a strong history of executive and management experience in the private, public and nonprofit sectors,” the Democrat from Georgia touted in a recent interview with Elle Magazine.

“I’ve spent 25 years in independent study of foreign policy. I am ready to help advance an agenda of restoring America’s place in the world. If I am selected, I am prepared and excited to serve,” she spotlighted.

Here are five things to know about one of the contenders in the 2020 veepstakes.

Abrams is a trailblazer

Abrams, 46, was born in Madison, Wis., and raised in Gulfport, Miss., through middle school before her family moved to Atlanta.

Abrams graduated as the first black valedictorian at Avondale High School in DeKalb County, Ga.

In 2011, Abrams became the first woman ever to lead a party bloc in the Georgia General Assembly after she was named Democratic caucus leader in the state House of Representatives. She was also the first African-American to reach the top spot of either party in Georgia’s lower legislative chamber.

Abrams – who narrowly lost the 2018 gubernatorial election in Georgia – was the first black female major party gubernatorial nominee in American history. And in February 2019, she became the first African-American woman to deliver a response to the State of the Union address.

Parents and siblings

Abrams' parents, Robert and Carolyn Abrams, studied divinity at Emory University after moving the family to Atlanta and eventually became United Methodist ministers.

Abrams is the second-oldest of six children. One sister is an author and professor at Centre College in Danville, Ky., another’s a federal district judge in Georgia, and a third’s an evolutionary biologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Political experience at an early age

Abrams was a political speech writer with a congressional campaign committee at age 17. She landed the position after impressing staff with her edits while typing. She later served as a research assistant in the youth services department under Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson.

She wrote romance novels before running for elective office

“Reckless,” “Hidden Sins,” and “Deception” are just some of the titles of the books written by Abrams as she dipped her toes into the romance novel genre in the early 2000s. As spotlighted in an article in "The Oprah Magazine," she wrote her books using the pen name Selena Montgomery – and you can see the list of her titles on Amazon.

She’s also worked as a tax attorney

After graduating from Yale Law School, Abrams worked as a tax attorney at a law firm in Atlanta -- with a focus on tax-exempt organizations, health care, and public finance. She also co-founded and served as the senior vice president of NOW Corp., a financial services firm. And she’s CEO of Sage Works, a legal consulting firm.