With Georgia's Abrams out, former mayor announces Senate bid

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Democrat and former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson says she's officially running for the U.S. Senate in 2020, just one day after fellow Democrat Stacey Abrams announced she wouldn't run.

Tomlinson announced her candidacy on Wednesday for the seat now held by incumbent Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue. She had previously signaled that she'd run only if Abrams, who grabbed national attention during her unsuccessful run for Georgia governor last year, was out.

Tomlinson's statement takes aim at Republican leaders, saying she wants to see a government in Washington "without all the crazy and the mean."

Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority and Abrams had been heavily recruited by Democratic party leaders to run.

Tomlinson's campaign says she raised $265,000 within hours of Abrams bowing out.