Barack Obama will campaign in Georgia to support Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who will compete against incumbent Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in highly-anticipated races that will determine which party gets control of the chamber.
The former president will appear at an event to support Ossoff and Warnock will take place tomorrow in Atlanta. Obama will be joined by Stacey Abrams and Representative-elect Nikema Williams.
“With Early Voting starting December 14, Friday’s event with President Obama, Reverend Warnock, and Stacey Abrams will inspire this historic statewide movement to generate record-shattering turnout so we can end this COVID crisis, deliver affordable health care for all Georgians, and pass a new Civil Rights Act,” Ossoff said in a statement.
To that, Warnock added: “We need leaders in Washington who will commit to putting the people first. Health care is on the ballot, relief for those impacted by the coronavirus is on the ballot, voting rights are on the ballot, and that is why we need every Georgian to get engaged and help turn out the vote.”
Obama has pushed back against President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent (there is no evidence to support this and United States security agencies have all disputed the claim). Trump has directed much of his focus toward key swing states that he lost. President-elect Joe Biden flipped the state of Georgia, which went to a Democrat for the first time since 1992.
Earlier this week, Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R) said Georgia Republicans were “certainly not” making “deals” that have allowed voter fraud to take place, as Trump has claimed.
“What is alarming is the amount of misinformation that continues to flow. It’s alarming to me,” Duncan said. “It’s certainly disheartening to watch folks willing to kind of put their character and their morals out there just so they can spread a half truth or a lie in the efforts to maybe to flip an election. … That’s not what democracy is all about.”
Duncan added that baseless voter fraud claims only serve to jeopardize the runoffs.
“I think short term we run the risk of alienating voters for our Senate race that is coming upon us for Sen. Loeffler and Sen. Perdue. And we need them,” he said. “And long term, I think we hurt the brand of our Republican Party, which is certainly bigger than one person long term … As Americans we need to see leaders that inspire us and not talk down.”
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.