Democrats hope to flip a House seat in Georgia to signal an anti-Trump wave
The suburban Atlanta district has long been represented by Republicans.
— -- Democrats are fighting to flip Georgia’s 6th Congressional District to their side in a special election today that is widely seen as a possible early referendum on the Trump presidency.
The suburban Atlanta congressional seat has long been held by Republicans and became vacant when former GOP Rep. Tom Price became Trump's health and human services secretary.
But Trump carried the district by less than two points in the November election, and now Democrats hope breakout candidate Jon Ossoff can hand Republicans a defeat.
Though he’s never run for office before, the 30-year-old Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker and former congressional aide, has managed to stand out in a crowded field of 18 candidates and to raise over a whopping $8 million.
Ossoff is running against four other Democrats and 11 GOP candidates in what is called a "jungle primary," in which all candidates run against one another regardless of party. Polls in Georgia show him leading the field.
However, today's winning candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the vote, or a runoff election will be held on June 20 between the two top vote-getters, regardless of party.
Ossoff made President Trump the focus of a few of his campaign ads and has used the slogan “Make Trump furious” for online fundraising.
“When President Trump embarrasses our country or acts reckless, I’ll hold him accountable,” Ossoff says in one ad.
In the lead-up to the election, Ossoff has managed to attract the president’s attention.
“Only you can stop the super liberal Democrats and Nancy Pelosi’s group, and in particular Jon Ossoff. If you don’t vote tomorrow, Ossoff will raise your taxes, destroy your health care and flood our country with illegal immigrants,” Trump said in a robocall recorded Monday.
Trump also turned to his favorite mode of communication to attack Ossoff on Monday.
Ossoff responded in a statement: "While I'm glad the president is interested in the race, he is misinformed.”
The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, has run attack ads that attempt to paint the Democratic candidate as inexperienced and use old footage of Ossoff in college dressed as “Star Wars” character Han Solo.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has also been funneling money into the election, even recruiting actor Samuel L. Jackson for an ad.
Leading Republican candidates in the race include former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, business executive Bob Gray, and former State Sen. Dan Moody.
Voting is currently underway in the district, which includes parts of Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties north of Atlanta, with polls due to close at 7 p.m. ET tonight.
Ossoff won't be able to vote for himself because he's not currently a resident. In an interview with CNN this morning, Ossoff said he's temporarily living a mile outside the district to help support his girlfriend who's in medical school, but he plans to move back to the 6th District, where he said he grew up.
This special election is the second test for the GOP this year after Republican Ron Estes narrowly won the U.S. House seat for Kansas' 4th Congressional District last week.