Biden, Harris to make closing pitches in Georgia’s Senate runoff contests

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris will both travel to Georgia in the closing days before its pair of Senate runoff elections, underscoring the importance of contests that will determine which party controls the chamber next year.

Harris plans to tout the two Democratic Senate candidates at an event in Savannah on Sunday, and Biden will appear in Atlanta on Monday, Biden’s campaign announced.

The appearances ahead of Tuesday’s elections are part of what has become a proxy battle of sorts between the two 2020 presidential tickets. President Donald Trump plans to stage a final rally on Monday in Dalton, Ga., for the Republican candidates, and Vice President Mike Pence has also made multiple trips to the state in recent weeks.

The contests pit Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler against Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, respectively.

If the two Democratic candidates prevail, the parties would each hold 50 seats in the Senate next year. With Harris as vice president available to cast tiebreaking votes, Democrats would effectively control the chamber, providing a boost to

Biden’s agenda.

Biden narrowly carried Georgia in the presidential race, becoming the first Democratic White House aspirant to do so since 1992. His victory has bolstered his party’s hopes in Tuesday’s races.

Trump has continued to press baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the Nov. 3 election and has blamed fellow Republicans, , for allowing Biden to prevail.