What's So Special About Georgia's Special Election?

A historic, special House race in Georgia’s 6th district has grabbed the attention of the President and the country. Democrats have been trying salvage their lost momentum ever since January, and today they seem to think they have a chance.

The special election is in a district previously held by Tom Price, the new United States Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Trump. What makes this election so historic? It quickly became the most expensive House race in history.

It’s high stakes for the Democrats, who have dumped $24 million dollars of donations into Ossoff’s campaign, compared to Karen Handel's $4.5 million. Most money for Ossoff’s campaign has been donated by Democrats from outside the state, including from California and New York. Hollywood celebrities even made videos supporting Ossoff.

Out of his $24 million in donations, only 3.5% came from the state of Georgia.

Why anyone would vote to give their House seat to a candidate like Ossoff, who has received the amount of money he has from outside donors, is beyond me. But, this spending reflects just how much is at stake for the Democrats and how politically significant this race has become.

President Trump has been tweeting about the special election, suggesting that the stakes are high for the GOP as well.

Republicans have won their respective special elections in Kansas and Montana, but securing this seat for Karen Handel tonight will give the Republican base more confidence in President Trump and his agenda in a period of rampant anti-Trump rhetoric. On the other hand, Democrats need this Georgia seat to use as proof of President Trump’s “rising unpopularity.”

I have been living in this district for over five years, and no one, including myself, has seen this number of television ads, yard signs, and political awareness in any other House or Senate race in recent years.

To voters in Georgia’s 6th district, this special election rivals with importance and relevance almost much as a national election. Republicans and Democrats in this Georgia District can probably agree on one thing–– that no matter the outcome tonight, no one in this district has been quite this aware of the race for their House seat.

McKenna Keim is a columnist for the GW College Republicans. The opinions expressed on this blog are her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official views of the GW College Republicans.