Trump taunts Dems after Georgia election

President Trump mocked Democrats on Twitter after Jon Ossoff narrowly missed winning a congressional seat outright in what would have been a shocking flip of a traditionally red district. “Despite major outside money, FAKE media support and eleven Republican candidates, BIG ‘R’ win with runoff in Georgia,” Trump tweeted. “Glad to be of help!”

Ossoff, a Democrat, captured 48.1 percent of the vote — he needed 50 percent, plus one, to win outright — and instead forced a runoff election against Republican Karen Handel that risks exposing Trump’s political toxicity on the campaign trail since winning the White House, even in the district once occupied by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Political observers were surprised a Democrat could poll so well in the district, although demographics have been changing. But Republicans, including Trump, sought to cast the election, not as an evening of just barely escaping humiliation, but as yet another example of Democrats’ continuous losing ways.

Many Dems had high hopes for Democrat James Thompson in the special congressional election earlier this month in Kansas but Republican Ron Estes ended up winning by 8 points.

“Dems failed in Kansas and are now failing in Georgia,” Trump tweeted. “Great job Karen Handel! It is now Hollywood vs. Georgia on June 20th.”

Still, the White House was left trying to fend off the narrative that the race in Georgia shouldn’t have been as close as it was.

“I think this was a big loss for them,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said yesterday. “The bottom line is they went all-in on it ... They came up short.”

Democrats are hoping a strategy of campaigning on Trump’s unpopularity — and tying their opponent to the president — will lead them to a wave of victories. The special elections have arisen in Kansas because of the resignation of former Rep. Mike Pompeo to become CIA director and in Georgia to replace former Rep. Tom Price, who is now the Secretary of Health & Human Services. State officials in Alabama have announced that a special off-year Senate election to replace former Sen. Jeff Sessions — who is now attorney general — will take place later this year with a preliminary in August and run-off, if necessary, in September.

There are also upcoming special House elections in California, Montana and South Carolina.