Oprah Winfrey on Wednesday formally endorsed Democrat Stacey Abrams in Georgia’s gubernatorial race.
If Abrams wins, she will become the first African-American female governor in U.S. history.
The media mogul will join Abrams in conversation on Thursday to discuss the critical value of women in leadership, as well as what is at stake for communities as the midterm elections approach. The events will take place in Cobb County and Dekalb County, Georgia.
In addition to formally endorsing the candidate and planning to speak with her at the town hall events, Winfrey will be knocking on doors to encourage eligible voters to cast their ballots in favor of Abrams.
Winfrey has been serving as a contributor for 60 Minutes, but is temporarily halting that relationship due to her political activity. “Oprah Winfrey and CBS News have agreed that she will step away from her contributor role at 60 Minutes during this campaign season, in keeping with CBS News standards,” said a CBS News spokesperson on Wednesday.
The last time Winfrey endorsed and campaigned for a candidate was in 2006 when she supported then-Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy for president. She fully endorsed Obama in 2007 and made her first appearance within the campaign later that year. While she endorsed Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, she did not campaign for Clinton.
Abrams has garnered a handful of high-profile supporters, including Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, and comedian Will Ferrell.
