Kuwait Times

Georgia house heading to high-stakes runoff

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A Georgia congressio­nal election is headed to a high-stakes runoff that’s shaping up as a referendum on President Donald Trump ahead of crucial midterm elections next year. Democrat Jon Ossoff, a littleknow­n 30-year-old former congressio­nal staffer, fell a few percentage points shy of an outright victory Tuesday amid an 18-candidate scramble in Georgia’s 6th Congressio­nal District. His strong showing in the conservati­ve district, driven by eye-popping fundraisin­g numbers from out-of-state donors, underscore­d Democrats’ eagerness to get a win against Trump as they strive to take back House control in 2018.

Republican Karen Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state, finished a distant second in the crowded field, qualifying for the June 20 runoff. Handel treated Trump gingerly throughout the campaign in a district he barely won in November. But the president called to congratula­te her Wednesday morning, and Handel said she hoped he would come to campaign for her. “I would hope so,” Handel said on CNN. “I mean look, all Republican­s, it’s all hands on deck for us.”

Trump had attacked Ossoff in recent days and took to Twitter again Wednesday morning to crow about the outcome in Georgia following Democrats’ failure to win a different special election in Kansas last week.

“Dems failed in Kansas and are now failing in Georgia. Great job Karen Handel! It is now Hollywood vs. Georgia on June 20th,” Trump wrote, alluding to celebrity donations that came in for Ossoff. The close outcomes in conservati­ve Kansas and Georgia underscore­d Democrats’ potential to capitalize on surging liberal energy following Trump’s election, but also pointed to the limits of how far they can go in Republican-friendly districts.

Republican­s hold a 237-193 majority in the House so Democrats would need to pick up more than 20 seats to retake control in the 2018 midterm, an uphill climb. Another special election is coming up in Montana next month.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez insisted Democrats have the momentum in the Georgia race, and made clear his party will not be shy about tying Handel to Trump. “She’s the person who supports Donald Trump’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I wonder if Donald Trump and she are going to campaign on that issue in her district,” Perez said on CNN. “We have a lot of wind at our back. The progressiv­e energy out there is palpable,” he added. The winner in Georgia will succeed Republican Tom Price, who resigned the seat to join Trump’s administra­tion as health secretary.

Leaders in both major parties agree the race offers a prime test run for 2018 elections, because the affluent, well-educated Georgia district is replete with the kind of voters Democrats must attract to reclaim a House majority and win more gubernator­ial and Senate races. For Democrats, Ossoff’s near win encourages the opposition movement that has flourished since Trump’s election. — AP

 ??  ?? ATLANTA: Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff walks with his girlfriend Alisha Kramer after speaking to his supporters as votes continue to be counted in a race that was too close to call for Georgia’s 6th Congressio­nal District in a special election to...
ATLANTA: Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff walks with his girlfriend Alisha Kramer after speaking to his supporters as votes continue to be counted in a race that was too close to call for Georgia’s 6th Congressio­nal District in a special election to...

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