Ever since Stacey Abrams announced that she was running again for governor of Georgia, it was clear that this race would be one of the most-watched elections in the country this year. Abrams is set for an electoral rematch against current Gov. Brian Kemp, who narrowly won the seat when they ran against each other in 2018. That election was highly controversial, as Kemp was secretary of state during the race and in charge of the process of purging voter rolls, using restrictive voting laws to remove many Black and brown voters ahead of the election. Since then, Abrams has gone on to be one of the Democratic Party’s brightest stars and perhaps the top political organizer in the country. Her work registering and mobilizing voters in Georgia was largely responsible for flipping the state blue in the most recent presidential and Senate elections. She has also been one of the country’s most vocal advocates for voting rights protections.

Kemp, meanwhile, has used his time in office to implement one of the nation’s most restrictive sets of voting laws, leading Abrams to in turn conduct even more organizing and outreach to register and mobilize voters in Georgia. This race, therefore, has huge implications, not only for the people of Georgia and for Abrams, but also for the direction that voting rights will take across the nation.

As Blavity previously reported, Val Demings has already accumulated a very impressive résumé. Her achievements include earning degrees from Florida State University and Webster University, becoming the first woman chief of police for the Orlando Police Department and winning her current seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Demings was reportedly on Joe Biden’s shortlist of presidential running mates, and she briefly considered running for governor of Florida this year.

Instead, the congresswoman from Florida’s 10^th District is looking to represent the state in the U.S. Senate, announcing last year that she was challenging Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in this year’s election. Rubio, a former presidential candidate, is a tough opponent, but Demings has advantages that include her 27-year career in law enforcement, which helps deflect Republican attacks about being anti-police or soft on crime. The numbers give Demings reasons to be confident. Demings is currently raising more money than any Senate challenger in Florida history, shrinking the gap in cash between her and Rubio. Recent polling data also shows Demings closing the gap in support between her and Rubio among likely Florida voters, and she is expected to gain even more ground on the incumbent senator as she continues to campaign.

Morgan Harper, who is currently running for an open U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, has generated excitement among Democrats and progressives more generally, but she still faces uphill battles within her own party and against her likely Republican opponent. Harper recently condemned the Ohio Democratic Party for endorsing another candidate, Rep. Tim Ryan, even though the Democratic primary is months away. Meanwhile, one of Harper’s likely Republican opponents, right-wing candidate Josh Mandel, has turned heads by making outrageous comments about Black Lives Matter, refugees and immigrants, as well as baseless claims about election fraud in 2020. During a recent debate with Harper, Mandel got into a shouting match with a Black audience member and the debate moderator over his past racist comments, and he personally insulted Harper’s intelligence. Harper, who maintained her composure and focused on the candidates’ records and stances during the debate, ended the event by refusing to shake Mandel’s hand.

Despite the hostility from Republicans and her own party, Harper has an impressive and diversified career backing her current run. The accomplishments she has achieved include degrees from Tufts, Princeton and Stanford, positions in the federal judiciary and the Obama administration, and community activism focused on consumer protections and responses to the COVID-19
pandemic. With these credentials, Harper has now chosen the U.S. Senate as the next venue for her to make an impact, and she has big plans for how she would use the position. According to a report by WKBN News, “Harper says she’s pro-choice, supports the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, universal health care, expanding the Supreme Court and eliminating the Senate filibuster,” positioning her squarely in the progressive camp of the Democratic Party. Harper’s stances and community activism have led some to call her “the AOC of the Midwest,” and she is eager to bring that type of energy to the Senate.

In 2018, businesswoman Deidre DeJear ran a strong campaign for Iowa secretary of state, the very first time that a Black woman in the state had been nominated to a statewide office by a major party. Then, Sen. Kamala Harris called her “a rock star,” and DeJear later served as the Iowa chairperson of the Harris presidential campaign. Now, DeJear is again representing Democrats in a statewide election, seeking to replace Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. In her current campaign, DeJear has been a crowd-pleaser, engaging audiences with her platform that focuses on health care, immigration and improving the lives of Black and brown Iowans, among other issues.

Yet, many of her supporters are skeptical of her chances in a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic senator or governor since 2008. Democratic operatives and fundraisers in the state have been slow to back DeJear — with some looking for a “great white hope” to lead the Democratic ticket instead. This has left DeJear at an organizational and financial disadvantage against incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds. Nevertheless, DeJear believes she’s up to the challenge. "We've got to put up a fight over the next several months," DeJear recently told a meeting of Democrats in Black Hawk County, adding that “this battle will not be easy, but it will be worth it."

Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley has proven herself a star in her state. Beasley worked her way up the judicial circuit, being elected as an appellate judge in 2008 and a member of the state Supreme Court in 2014. In 2019, she became the first Black woman to be chief justice in North Carolina. While serving in this top role, Justice Beasley was an advocate for racial justice. Speaking on the importance of racial reckoning in the country, she and other justices issued a ruling allowing death row inmates to appeal their sentences on the grounds of racial bias. Her judicial record has created speculation that, if not for her current Senate race, Beasley might have been one of the top candidates to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2020, Beasley gained more votes in North Carolina than Biden, although she ended up losing her North Carolina Supreme Court reelection race by a slim 400-vote margin. Nevertheless, her strong performance indicated that she could be the first Democrat in years to win a Senate seat in the state. With incumbent North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr retiring, the race for the open Senate seat is expected to be one of the most expensive congressional races in American history, and Beasley spent much of 2021 raising more money than any of her opponents. Her record and fundraising power predict bright things for Beasley.

These candidates are only some of the numerous Black women running for high office this election cycle. In an era of continuing challenges facing Black people and women across the U.S., Black women, in particular, are mobilizing to be the change they want to see in this country. And with so many accomplished and excitement-generating candidates on the ballot, 2022 could end up being a banner year for Black women in politics.