Kevin Abel

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Kevin Abel

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

July 24, 2018

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Kevin Abel was a 2018 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 6th Congressional District of Georgia.

Biography

Abel and his wife Cindy started Abel Solutions, a technology consulting company, in 1994. He moved to the United States from South Africa when he was 14 years old.

Elections

2018

See also: Georgia's 6th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Georgia District 6

Lucy McBath defeated incumbent Karen Handel in the general election for U.S. House Georgia District 6 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lucy McBath (D)	50.5	160,139
		Karen Handel (R)	49.5	156,875
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	18

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 317,032 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Georgia District 6

Lucy McBath defeated Kevin Abel in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Georgia District 6 on July 24, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lucy McBath	53.7	14,285
		Kevin Abel	46.3	12,303

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 26,588
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 6

Lucy McBath and Kevin Abel advanced to a runoff. They defeated Bobby Kaple and Steven Knight Griffin in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 6 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lucy McBath	36.3	15,138
✔		Kevin Abel	30.5	12,747
		Bobby Kaple	26.2	10,956
		Steven Knight Griffin	6.9	2,901

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 41,742
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Richard Keatley (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 6

Incumbent Karen Handel advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 6 on May 22, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karen Handel	100.0	40,410

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 40,410
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2018

Abel's website stated the following:

“	Healthcare Healthcare is a right. All Americans must have access to quality, affordable care. After two decades of providing healthcare to hundreds of employees right here in the 6th District, I know what it’s like to deal with double digit premium increases every year. As a cancer survivor, I know what it’s like to worry more about your medical bill than your diagnosis. The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans have purposefully injected uncertainty into the healthcare marketplace, causing insurers in Georgia to leave the individual insurance marketplace. We need to work to create stable and competitive healthcare markets that will encourage insurers to participate and bring down premiums. We must also continue to fight for Medicaid expansion in Georgia and make sure that no one is unable to see a doctor simply because they can’t afford it. Economy & Jobs As a business owner, I know what it takes to create good paying jobs that provide healthcare and opportunities for growth. The 6th District has a rapidly growing economy and has become a leader in creating jobs in the tech sector. I will work to make sure we continue to lead the way in innovation, and continue to attract companies like the one Cindy and I built, companies that will employ workers right here in the 6th. We must also ensure we are building an economy that works for everyone. I recognize the dramatic increase in income inequality our country has seen in the last few decades, and am committed to ensuring that as our economy grows we don’t leave vast segments of workers behind. Immigration I came to this country 39 years ago as a 14-year old immigrant. I know what it’s like to look at America from a foreign shore, with a sense of yearning and aspiration. I have also been privileged to work on immigration issues for the last six years, helping refugees in Georgia thrive. We are a nation of immigrants who come here to work hard and achieve the American Dream just as I did. These new Americans are a fundamental asset and contributing members of our society. Rather than perpetuating the hateful slandering of those who don’t look or sound like us, we must work together to welcome these hardworking Americans while ensuring we protect our communities from those who commit crimes and seek to do harm. Women’s Rights I believe women should make their own medical decisions. The federal government should never get between a woman and her doctor deciding what is best for her health. I understand the importance of quality, affordable healthcare, and will fight to ensure women have access to cancer screenings, mammograms, and family planning services. I believe in equal pay for equal work. My wife Cindy and I founded our business together with a commitment to equality and equal opportunity for all employees. National Security With so many threats facing our country, America cannot afford to abdicate the mantle of global leadership. We must ensure our military has the right tools it needs to get the job done. In Congress, I will work to make sure that our military is properly funded and that we continue to lead the world in cutting edge military technology. And when our troops come home from overseas, I want to make sure veterans have a VA that works and the right resources to re-enter civilian society. The soft power of a robust diplomatic corps is a vital component of our national security. Under the leadership of Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the State Department has been eviscerated and key ambassadorships remain unfilled. I will work to protect our diplomatic corps and make sure they have the right people needed to negotiate on behalf of our government across the globe. A key component of our national security is the United States’ relationship with Israel. Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East and the region’s only true democracy. This is a deeply personal issue for me. As a Jewish man who has raised a Jewish family and is committed to the Jewish faith and Israel as our homeland, I am 100% committed to a strong, independent, and democratic Israel. Gun Safety For too long Washington has failed our families by ignoring gun violence in America. A child should feel safe and secure at school. A family should be able to worship in peace without wondering if someone in the congregation has an AR-15 with them. And a parent should be able to go out for dinner without worrying that someone who is drinking may be armed. In Congress, I will make sure we pass sensible gun safety legislation that starts with allowing the CDC to once again research gun violence in America. I will also push for universal background checks, limiting magazine capacity, keeping weapons designed for war off our streets, and preventing those convicted of domestic violence from ever owning a gun again. If a teenager in Florida can stand up to the failed leadership in Washington so can we. Enough is enough. Environment We cannot continue to deny science. Climate change is a real and imminent threat to our environment and our economy. I strongly support the United States re-entering the Paris Agreement and will fight to make sure we are taking the proper steps needed to negate the effects of climate change on our environment. Congress must support the building of an innovative green economy that will create new jobs and allow us to transition from our dependence on fossil fuels in favor of sustainable clean energy sources. Renewable energy creates more new jobs today than oil, gas and coal, and investing in the green sector is not just common sense, but economic sense. Education When I came to this country, I attended public schools and was welcomed with open arms. I’m proud to have sent both my daughters to the University of Georgia, one of the best public universities in the world. Every single American child should have access to a good public education, no matter what their parents do for a living or what zip code they live in. We need to make sure that public schools are adequately funded and are preparing our children not for a test, but to enter the real world with the skills to succeed in our modern economy. LGBTQ Rights We have come so far in the fight for LGBTQ equality. The Supreme Court’s decision to recognize marriage equality was a great civil rights victory, but there is still so much work to be done to ensure that LGBTQ individuals receive the full protection of the law. I will fight back against discriminatory laws, which are not only morally wrong, but also bad for business here in Georgia. I will also fight against this administration’s attempts to discriminate against trans individuals and their efforts to ban trans service members from serving in the armed forces.	”
—Kevin Abel’s campaign website (2018)

"Health Care," released April 24, 2018

"Protecting the American Dream," released April 11, 2018

"Trump," released April 11, 2018

See also

• United States House of Representatives
• Georgia's 6th Congressional District election, 2018
• Georgia's 6th Congressional District

External links

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Footnotes

[show]

Georgia's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jon Ossoff (D)

Raphael Warnock (D)

Representatives

District 1

Earl Carter (R)

District 2

Sanford Bishop (D)

District 3

Brian Jack (R)

District 4

Hank Johnson (D)

District 5

Nikema Williams (D)

District 6

Lucy McBath (D)

District 7

Rich McCormick (R)

District 8

Austin Scott (R)

District 9

Andrew Clyde (R)

District 10

Mike Collins (R)

District 11

Barry Loudermilk (R)

District 12

Rick Allen (R)

District 13

David Scott (D)

District 14

Marjorie Greene (R)

Republican Party (9)

Democratic Party (7)