Oprah to shine star power on Democrat Abrams in Georgia governor's race

[November 01, 2018]    (Reuters) - Oprah Winfrey is lending her star power on Thursday to Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is vying to become the first female black governor in the United States.

Oprah Winfrey poses backstage with her Cecil B. DeMille Award. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

The media mogul has long championed Democratic Party causes, and some fans earlier this year tried to encourage her to run against Republican President Donald Trump in 2020.

Winfrey is slated to appear alongside Abrams at two town halls, in Cobb and DeKalb counties, that the Abrams campaign described as "get-out-the-vote" events.

"Oprah will share why she believes Stacey Abrams is the best candidate to represent all of Georgia," a statement from her campaign said.

A representative for Winfrey, 64, declined to comment further on Wednesday.

Winfrey endorsed Democrat Barack Obama before his 2008 White House run, and campaigned for the two-term president.

The contentious gubernatorial race between Abrams, a former leader in the state House of Representatives, and her Republican opponent, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, has been marred by accusations of voter suppression.

Last month, former voting rights advocacy groups sued Kemp, whose role makes him Georgia's top election official, accusing the Republican of placing voter registrations on hold to boost his campaign.

Former U.S. President and Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter asked Kemp to resign his position as Georgia's secretary of state, saying his role in state government imperiled popular confidence in the election.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery; editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis)

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