Kevin Abel

Kevin Abel earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987. 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.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

After moving to North Fulton in 1990, Kevin and his wife Cindy built a successful technology consulting business earning respect as an industry leader. Alongside his professional success, Kevin has remained deeply engaged in community life, serving on non-profit boards, supporting local initiatives, and leading a task force to combat antisemitism. In 2017, a cancer diagnosis and an administrative error that left him temporarily without health insurance brought the stakes of public policy into sharp focus. With coverage restored, Kevin had access to world-class care and a return to full health. His experiences animate the values guiding his candidacy.

Kevin has worked on solving challenges facing our community on the local, state, and federal level — including serving on Georgia’s Department of Transportation Board and spending years working in the refugee resettlement arena.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

AFFORDABILITY

Kevin will tackle the affordability crisis head-on. He is committed to protecting tax credits and strengthening renter stability to increase attainable housing and help essential workers live in the communities they serve. Property tax and income tax should not be cut in order to benefit the wealthiest among us. Kevin believes a fair economy is one centered on progressive tax policy.HEALTHCARE

Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. Kevin has personally faced insurance gaps while fighting cancer, shaping his commitment to accessible, quality care for all Georgians, including women’s reproductive healthcare. Kevin’s two daughters work in healthcare, witnessing firsthand the inequities and failings of our system. Kevin will push to expand Medicaid in Georgia, reduce healthcare costs, and fight to end the abortion ban.LEADERSHIP

Kevin’s professional, civic, and personal experience equip him to lead on day one. He delivered results on the Georgia Department of Transportation Board and has advocated tirelessly on behalf of refugees and immigrants in Georgia. He created jobs for hundreds of employees in the district, providing healthcare benefits to all. Kevin will bring practical, results-driven experience to Georgia Senate District 14.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare, Women's Choice, Transportation/Transit, Education, Affordable Housing, Immigration

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Stacey Evans

State House Representative

Mary Robichaux

Mayor, City of Roswell

Sally Harrell

State Senator

Esther Panitch

State House Representative

Ted Terry

DeKalb County Commission

Susie Greenberg

Former State House candidate

Lindy Miller

Former PSC candidate

Debra Shigley

Former State Senate candidate

Patti Garrett

Former Mayor City of Decatur

Stephe Koonz

Former City Councilwoman - City of Doraville

Long Tran

State House Representative

Elena Parent

State Senator

Beth Fuller

Candidate for HD 53

Sonya Halpern

State Senator

Doug Hooker

Former Executive Director, Atlanta Regional Commission

PAC For Georgia's Youth

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.

[3]

—Kevin Abel’s campaign website (2018)[4]

"Health Care," released April 24, 2018

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

"Trump," released April 11, 2018