Voting rights activist and two-time Democratic nominee for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams spoke about fighting authoritarianism and defending democracy at Northwestern’s annual Knox Conversations speaker series at the Pritzker School of Law on Wednesday. Abrams reflected on her tenure as the Democratic minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives and on her two gubernatorial runs in 2018 and 2022; she lost both. She expressed concern for what she called the rise of autocracy in the United States under Donald Trump, comparing the U. S.’ current direction to authoritarian regimes, including Hungary under Viktor Orbán, Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russia under Vladimir Putin. “There are 10 steps to autocracy and authoritarianism, and we have hit all 10,” Abrams said. “But you cannot appease authoritarianism. It is a hungry beast that is only satisfied with pure dominion. It cannot be appeased, and when you try, you simply feed it and you prolong it.” Abrams said that any future efforts to reform American democracy must be led by lawyers. “The intercession of this authoritarian regime has not only fractured institutions, it’s fractured our understanding of those institutions,” Abrams said. “So part of our responsibility is going to be, how do we explain it to those for whom the architecture is unimportant, and that’s the place where lawyers can be the most effective, especially in political discourse.” Abrams said the current administration is pursuing a set of fundamentally different, anti-democratic political objectives than the Republican Party of the past. She compared a recent Supreme Court decision permitting Immigration and Customs Enforcement patrols to stop individuals on the basis of race to the Fugitive Slave Act and described the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago as a “military occupation.” “I cannot have a credible conversation with someone who believes that my presence in this nation is an abomination,” Abrams said. “I have a difficult time navigating debate with someone who does not see my humanity as equal to their own.” Abrams pointed to her political pragmatism as well as her bipartisan work in the Georgia legislature, including cooperating with members of the right-wing Tea Party movement on certain pieces of legislation. Abrams also acknowledged her prior electoral defeats. In 2018, she lost the gubernatorial election to then-Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp by just 1. 4% amid Democratic allegations of widespread voter suppression, which led Abrams to refuse to officially concede the race. The election was one of the highest-profile races in 2018 and pushed Abrams into the national spotlight. She was considered as a potential running mate for Joe Biden in 2020. “I lost spectacularly by a very narrow margin but on the international stage, I was the most Googled politician in 2018,” Abrams said. “And I lost, and it sucked.” After her 2018 loss, Abrams founded Fair Fight Action to combat voter suppression. She spoke about her efforts to register new voters, stretching back to her undergraduate years at Spelman College. NPR reported in July that Abrams has not ruled out a third run for governor in 2026. “She’s so intelligent, so brilliant,” third-year Pritzker student Jehovahnie Saint Rose said. “These are the types of speakers I would love to continue seeing, people who look like me, especially as a Black woman and an immigrant, especially during these times. It’s great to have a powerful woman like Stacey on campus.” Saint Rose said she felt personally inspired by Abrams. First-year Pritzker student Sana Leebe took extensive notes on Abrams’ lecture, which she said gave her hope for the future of the country. “I especially think a point that she emphasized that I enjoyed was that we should demand Email: [email protected] X: @MaxTuretzky Related Stories: A look back on the 2019-20 school year’s speakers Abrams talks unfair elections, importance of Census.
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2025/11/20/campus/stacey-abrams-reflects-on-democracy-authoritarianism-at-pritzker-talk/
Stacey Abrams reflects on democracy, authoritarianism at Pritzker talk
