*By Christian Smith*
Midterm races in Georgia represent a test of Democrats' strategy to win back states from President Trump in 2020 and counter his conservative populism with their own unabashedly progressive appeal.
"When you talk to Democratic strategists, Georgia really is right at the top of that list," said Eric Boehm, a reporter at Reason. "Democrats are looking at Georgia as one of those places where they can make inroads against that electoral map that President Donald Trump won."
On Tuesday, Stacey Abrams won Georgia's Democratic primary for governor, becoming the first black woman to be nominated for governor by a major political party. With more than 75 percent of the vote, Abrams, a former statehouse leader, defeated another former state rep in the Battle of the Staceys ー Stacey Evans.
Abrams will face the winner of a Republican runoff between Georgia's Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp scheduled for July 24.
During her primary campaign, Abrams signaled she would not water down her progressive message in an attempt to court white conservatives away from Republicans. She has said she would raise the minimum wage, use Affordable Care Act funding to expand Medicaid, and do away with cash bail. The success or failure of her strategy could change the way Democrats approach Trump voters in 2020.
The midterm battles may have grown more difficult for Democrats recently. For the first time in the midterm election cycle, American voters are more likely to vote for the Republican candidate in their district than the Democrat according to a new [Reuters poll](http://polling.reuters.com/#!response/TM1212Y17/type/smallest/filters/PD1:1/dates/20180101-20180517/collapsed/true).
If elected, the 44-year-old Abrams would become the first black woman elected governor in the United States, and only the third black governor elected by popular vote after Douglas Wilder in Virginia in 1990, and Massachusetts's Deval Patrick in 2007.
Pinckney Pinchback became governor of Louisiana in 1872 after serving as lieutenant governor, and David Paterson was elevated from lieutenant governor in New York in 2008, but neither was elected governor.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/southern-democrats-nominate-historic-group-of-women-in-primaries).
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration has made a formal determination that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has assumed the role of an unlikely hero. Donning his iconic green t-shirt, the Ukrainian Leader has been praised for his relatable look and unique war-time approach as support pours in for his country under attack. Melinda Haring, deputy director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss Zelenskyy's rise from comedian to a leader on the world stage.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell went ahead and stirred the pot this week with a series of public talks signaling a firmer hand from the central bank going forward.
Turkish media reports say a second superyacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in a resort in southwestern Turkey.
Catching you up on what you Need to Know on Mar 23, 2022, as NATO meets in Brussels to discuss Ukraine, mortgage rates rise, Justin Trudeau is set to lead Canada until 2025, tornadoes sweep through Louisiana, California may do away with SATs, and a Starbucks in Seattle unionizes.
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson is declaring at her confirmation hearing that she will rule “without any agendas” if approved as the high court’s first black female justice.
In response to the Florida ‘Don’t’ Say Gay Bill,’ Disney employees staged a companywide walkout after CEO Bob Chapek was late to condemn the legislation. Cheddar News speaks with Maxx Fenning, president at Florida LGBTQ+ advocacy group PRISM on the issue.
Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code and author of "Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think), joined Cheddar to discuss the many challenges for women in the workplace after the upheaval caused by the pandemic and the solutions she presents.
Hate crimes from the start of 2022 against Asians reportedly more than doubled compared to 2021, according to the NYPD. Amid the surge of attacks, Amber Reed, the president and co-founder of the grassroots organization AAPI Montclair, joined Cheddar News to talk about how it's looking to help Asian Americans with classes and techniques to defend themselves. “We're seeing racism literally killing people who look like us, and these self defense classes are a chance for us to rewrite a narrative of victimhood into one of empowerment," she said. "We learn first how to be aware of our surroundings because we know that being distracted, appearing weak can make you a target, and then that we focus on disengagement."
