Stacey Abrams refused to acknowledge Georgia’s Republican Governor-elect Brian Kemp as “legitimate” during a Sunday morning appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper.

WATCH:

Throughout the course of the interview, Tapper pressed Abrams several times on the issue — and she repeatedly refused to use the word “legitimate.”

“Sherrod Brown says the election was stolen. Do you agree that it was stolen and do you think that Brian Kemp is not the legitimate governor-elect of Georgia?” Tapper asked. (RELATED: Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams Admits She’ll Lose But Doesn’t Concede The Race)

“The law, as it stands, says that he received an adequate number of votes to become the governor of Georgia,” Abrams began. “And I acknowledge the law as it stands. I am a lawyer by training and I have taken the constitutional oath to uphold the law. But we know sometimes the law does not do what it should and something being legal does not make it right.”

Abrams went on to talk about voter protection, accusing Kemp of compromising the system.

Tapper tried again, asking, “Is he the legitimate governor-elect of Georgia?”

Abrams replied, “He is the person who won the adequate number of votes to become the governor.”

Pointing out the fact that she wasn’t actually answering the question, Tapper pressed one more time. “You’re not using the word legitimate. Is he the legitimate governor-elect of Georgia?”

“He is the legal governor of Georgia,” Abrams repeated. “Words have meaning. I spent my lifetime not only as an attorney but as a writer and I’m careful of the words I choose.”

Abrams concluded by saying that she wouldn’t use the word “legitimate” to describe an election that she still believes was tainted.

“What you are looking for me to say is that there was no compromise of our democracy and there should be some political compromise in the language I use and that’s not right. What’s not right is saying that something was done properly when it was not.”

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