While losing the House seat vacated by Tom Price in Georgia’s 6th district will make little immediate difference in real terms for Republicans, doing so will provide an unwelcome boost of morale and momentum to anti-Trump regressives. Democrats and “resist we much” activists across the country know this, understand the momentum such a victory would create, and are unleashing all of their resources on this tiny, mostly conservative district near Atlanta.
Team Obama, Hollywood has-been Samuel L. Jackson, and outside volunteers and money are flooding into the district with the hopes of scoring a win on Tuesday for the anti-Trump “resistance.” To that end, they are all rallying behind progressive Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Ossoff worked as a staffer and aide to Representative Hank Johnson of “my concern is that Guam will tip over” fame and has been endorsed by John Lewis.
From Ossoff’s Twitter page:
Team Obama is represented in Georgia by former Secretary of the House and Urban Development Department Julian Castro.
The Washington Examiner reports:
A member of former President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, Julian Castro, is rallying support for Jon Ossoff the leading Democratic candidate in the special election to take the Georgia congressional seat vacated by Republican Tom Price when he became Health and Human Services secretary.Castro, who served as Obama’s secretary of the House and Urban Development Department, met with supporters at Ossoff’s office. Pictures of the event were posted online Saturday.
Team Hollywood is also making an appearance in support of progressive Democrat Ossoff, with Samuel L. Jackson in a radio ad urging Georgians in the 6th district to “Stop Donald Trump.”
A new radio ad in support of Democratic candidates in Georgia features actor Samuel L. Jackson calling on voters to “stop Donald Trump” by voting Democrat in Georgia’s special election on Tuesday.”Stop Donald Trump, the man who encourages racial and religious discrimination, and sexism,” Jackson says in the ad, put out by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.. . . . “Remember what happened the last time people stayed home,” Jackson adds. “We got stuck with Trump. We have to channel the great vengeance and furious anger we have for this administration into votes at the ballot box.”
Listen:
In addition to Castro and Jackson, a host of volunteers and a cascade of cash floods into Georgia’s 6th in support of Ossoff. Anti-Trump volunteers from DC, Michigan, and New York are arriving by the busload.
KAUFFMAN [NPR reporter]: There are volunteers here from around the country. Jordan DeLoatch wrote an overnight bus from North Carolina that the Ossoff campaign chartered.. . . . KAUFFMAN: The campaign is also bringing busloads of volunteers from the Washington D.C. area, Michigan and New York. DeLoatch says volunteers want to fight back against President Trump and the Republican Congress.DELOATCH [volunteer]: It’s kind of the first chance to really send a message.KAUFFMAN: Laura Phipps, another volunteer, brought her son along from North Carolina. Phipps says reading the news makes her stomach turn.LAURA PHIPPS: It’s much less frustrating when you’re working, when you’re doing something.
Watch the report:
This is a crowded field with five Democrats and 11 Republicans running. While Democrats have coalesced behind Ossoff, Republicans are divided.
A former Trump campaign senior adviser supports Bob Gray, other prominent Republicans support state senator Judson Hill, Karen Handel, or Amy Kremer.
Karen Giorno, a former senior advisor for the Donald Trump campaign, is making her second day of appearances with Bob Gray, a former Johns Creek city councilman who is battling for a runoff spot with another Republican, Karen Handel.Former House Speaker and 6th district congressman Newt Gingrich is doing a robocall on Saturday, urging voters to choose another Republican in the race, state Sen. Judson Hill.Hill has some of the race’s highest profile endorsements, including from U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, but those haven’t translated into any polling success for the longtime state lawmaker.Karen Handel, who, along with Gray, are vying for the No. 2 spot behind Ossoff, also picked up a national endorsement late last week. Maggie’s List, a federal political action committee dedicated to electing conservative women to federal office, endorsed Georgia’s former secretary of state.Handel has also been endorsed by dozens of mostly local elected officials, as well as former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.
Meanwhile, yet another GOP candidate, Kremer, has been endorsed by Sean Hannity and by a former Trump aide.
11alive continues:
Low-polling GOP contender Amy Kremer was endorsed last week by national conservative talk show host Sean Hannity and Katrina Pierson, a former spokesperson and top aide to President Trump.”Listen, you have been a champion out there hitting the pavement for all these years,” Hannity said. “It’s people like you that I’d love to see in Congress and think you would do a great job … I hope you win!””I fully support and endorse my friend Amy Kremer in her bid for Congress,” Pierson said. ”Everyone claims to be #teamtrump but I know who actually was!”
If no candidate wins over 50% of the vote, there will be a run-off election in June.
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