LeBron James And More Than A Vote Will ‘Get Behind’ The Georgia Senate Elections

LeBron James is keeping busy in the lead-up to the 2020-21 NBA season. While the Los Angeles Lakers will begin their title defense a little later this month, James has his eyes set on something going on in early January, as he explained on the latest edition of the Road Trippin’ podcast.

James started a new voting rights group earlier this year called More Than A Vote, which works to assist disenfranchised individuals in getting involved in the democratic process. Following its work in the 2020 general election, James said that the group’s next priority is the upcoming Georgia runoff elections for a pair of United States Senate seats that could tip the balance of power in the chamber.

“We’re never about a one-off,” James said. “We’re trying to figure out ways, right now, that we can continue to implement change in the communities, not only in my home community of Akron, Ohio, but communities all over America, and hopefully, create change in the world, as well. So we’re looking for opportunities — there’s a huge Senate race in that’s going on in Georgia coming up in January, so we’re tackling that.”

The races James mentioned pit incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican, against Democratic nominee Rev. Raphael Warnock in a special election for a seat that Loeffler received via gubernatorial appointment in early 2020; and a pair of candidates — Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff — going head-to-head. The Senate currently as 50 Republican members, 46 Democratic members, and a pair of Independents who caucus with the Democrats, so if either Loeffler or Perdue win, the GOP controls the chamber for at least the next two years, barring anything unforeseen. Should Ossoff and Warnock both win, though, it is split, and the deciding vote on any deadlocked legislation would go to Kamala Harris, the Democratic Vice President-elect of the United States.

James does understand that there are a number of other people who are working to assist disenfranchised voters in Georgia in the lead-up to the Jan. 5 runoff election, heaping praise on former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who James affectionately referred to as “a monster” and “unbelievable,” and other activists in both the state and the city of Atlanta for the work that they have done. He also made it a point to let them know that they have his full support.

“We’re gonna get behind that,” James said, “and hopefully continue to make change.”