First black female nominates for US governor

A former Georgia lawmaker and author has taken a major step towards becoming the first ever African-American female governor of a US state.

Stacey Abrams won the Democrat Party primary on Tuesday telling voters that trying to “convert” Republicans into Democrats has previously failed.

A Democrat has not held the red state’s governor’s mansion since 2003.

Ms Abrams, 44, will face a Republican candidate in the high-stakes mid-term contest in November.

Lt Gov Casey Cagle won the Republican primary on Tuesday, and will face Georgia’s secretary of state Brian Kemp in a run off on 24 July to decide her eventual opponent.

If elected in the deeply conservative state, Ms Abrams would become the first woman and the first person from an ethnic minority to lead the southern state.

The US currently has six female governors, including two Democrats and four Republicans, in Alabama, Iowa, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Rhode Island.

Ms Abrams prevailed over Stacey Evans, a 40-year-old state representative, with three quarters of the vote.