In a statement to supporters Thursday, the Trump campaign warned that control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance in Georgia, where the rapidly approaching runoff election features two Republicans facing off against Democratic opponents, who the campaign describes as “represent[ing] everything liberal activists have been screaming about for four years.”
The Jan. 5 runoff election in Georgia will determine which party controls the Senate. Right now, there are 50 Republicans, 46 Democrats and two independents who caucus with them. In one Georgia race, Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock faces Republican incumbent Rep. Kelly Loeffler; in the other, Republican Sen. David Perdue goes up against Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff.
“Joe Biden’s trip to Georgia next week proves that Democrats are taking the Senate runoff elections seriously and so should Republicans,” said Trump 2020 Campaign Manager Bill Stepien in a statement Thursday.
“Control of the U.S. Senate is at stake and it is imperative that Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are returned to Washington to hold the line against radical, leftist attempts to raise taxes, impose the job-crushing Green New Deal, gut law enforcement, and grant amnesty to 11 million illegal aliens. Perdue and Loeffler have been strong allies for President Trump while their opponents represent everything liberal activists have been screaming about for four years,” he said.
“Jon Ossoff is a cookie-cutter leftist opportunist who spends his entire life shopping for political offices. Raphael Warnock is an unrepentant Marxist who is the most radical candidate for statewide office in Georgia history. While President Trump continues his legal battle challenging the election, it is still of the utmost importance for Republicans to retain control of the Senate. Every Georgian should either vote early for Perdue and Loeffler or turn out on January 5th,” Stepien said.
In a campaign rally last week, Trump called the January races “the most important congressional runoff probably in American history” and ripped the two Democrats as “extreme, far-left” candidates who promote “socialist” policies.
While Trump has been railing against the way Georgia officials have handled the election and his legal team has filed complaints against the state, he has also repeatedly urged Republicans to get out and vote for the runoff election. The answer is not to “stay at home,” said Trump on Twitter, “that’s what Pelosi and Schumer want you to do.” Instead, Republicans must “show up and vote in RECORD numbers!”
“If you aren’t planning to vote by mail, vote early in person, or vote on Election Day!” he said.
Biden will travel to Atlanta on Tuesday to stump for Ossoff and Warnock, his campaign announced.
Biden was officially certified as the winner of this year’s presidential election in Georgia, the state’s top election official announced on Monday. “We have now counted legally-casted ballots three times and the results have remained unchanged,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said.