Former President Donald J. Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence are scheduled to participate at competing campaign events on Monday evening, the eve of Georgia&#8217;s GOP gubernatorial primary.
Trump has endorsed former Senator David Perdue over incumbent Governor Brian Kemp. Pence has thrown his support behind Kemp and is scheduled to appear at a campaign rally on Monday night. Trump will also be appearing in a virtual tele-rally for Perdue just days after the president disputed a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/trump-washes-hands-perdue-georgia-campaign-limps-final-stretch-rcna29714">report by NBC</a> that he had stopped lending his support to the former senator.
&#8220;The Kemp campaign, together with Fake News NBC, has put out a phony narrative that I have given up on David Perdue in Georgia,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10837847/Donald-Trump-denies-STOPPED-supporting-David-Perdue-race-Georgia-governor.html">said</a> on his social media site, Truth Social.
&#8220;That is completely false!&#8221; he added. &#8220;I am with David all the way because Brian Kemp was the worst governor in the country on election integrity!&#8221;
Kemp, who Trump has repeatedly criticized for his handling of the 2020 election, appears to be in the lead against Perdue by a heavy margin. A recent Fox News poll &#8220;found that 60% of Republican voters in the state prefer Kemp, while only 28% support Perdue &#8211; compared with 50% versus 39% in March,&#8221; The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10837847/Donald-Trump-denies-STOPPED-supporting-David-Perdue-race-Georgia-governor.html">noted</a> on Friday.
Pence, meanwhile, endorsed Kemp late into the race.
&#8220;Brian Kemp is my friend, a man dedicated to faith, family and the people of Georgia,” Pence said. “I am proud to offer my full support for four more years of Brian Kemp as governor of the great state of Georgia.”
The Trump camp, for its part, has slammed Pence&#8217;s endorsement. Taylor Budowich, a spokesperson for Trump, recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/23/us/politics/pence-trump-republicans-2024.html">told</a> The New York Times that Pence&#8217;s involvement in the Georgia race was a part of his attempt to stay relevant.
&#8220;Mike Pence was set to lose a governor’s race in 2016 before he was plucked up and his political career was salvaged,” Budowich said. “Now, desperate to chase his lost relevance, Pence is parachuting into races, hoping someone is paying attention. The reality is, President Trump is already 82-3 with his endorsements, and there’s nothing stopping him from saving America in 2022 and beyond.”
Pence has not denied that he is considering running in 2024, even if it means running against Trump. Trump has not officially declared his candidacy but has repeatedly told his supporters that he believes they will be &#8220;very happy&#8221; with his announcement regarding the election.
“We’ll go where we’re called,” Pence had previously said regarding his future plans. “That’s the way Karen and I have always approached these things,&#8221; he added in reference to his wife.
Kemp and Perdue also face candidates Catherine Davis, Kandiss Taylor, and Tom Williams in the primary.

President Trump, Mike Pence

Trump, Pence To Participate In Competing Georgia GOP Primary Campaign Events

Trump, Pence To Participate In Competing Georgia Primary Eve Campaign Events 

Brian Kemp

David Perdue

Donald Trump

Georgia

Mike Pence

Republican Primary

David Perdue lost re-election to Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in Georgia’s Senate runoff election on January 5, with Ossoff winning by just over 93,000 votes (2%). It now seems that Perdue is considering a 2022 Senate run against Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), who beat Kelly Loeffler in Georgia’s special election.
According to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/perdue-files-to-run-for-senate-against-warnock-in-2022">Fox News</a>, Perdue filed Federal Election Commission (FEC) paperwork on Monday evening “to become a candidate to run for Senate in 2022.” The paperwork designated a “principal campaign committee,” titled “Perdue for Senate.”
Warnock defeated Loeffler — who was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on December 4, 2019, after Johnny Isakson announced his resignation for health reasons — on January 5, also by just over 93,000 votes.
“Perdue has not formally announced his candidacy for 2022, but the filing of paperwork on Monday is a key step in that direction, a source familiar told Fox News, saying the former senator will be making a final decision in the weeks ahead,” reported Fox News.
According to the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/perdue-explores-senate-comeback-bid-against-warnock-in-2022/ZPYGUCAUIFCKRODBPA2PS4CCDE/">Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a> (AJC), “A senior Perdue adviser characterized the filing as a necessary legal step, but added that the former senator is ‘leaning heavily toward’ running again. If Perdue runs, the adviser said, he will decide by March 1, put together a campaign team and announce in April.”
“Another person close to Perdue said the former senator was ‘keeping the powder dry and all options open’ if he decides to pull the trigger,” the AJC report added.
Other candidates being discussed as Republican candidates for Georgia’s 2022 Senate race include UGA Heisman Trophy winner and National Championship football player Herschel Walker — who endorsed Loeffler during the US Senate primary race — and former Rep. Doug Collins — who competed with Loeffler for Republican votes in November 3rd’s election.
After Warnock and Ossoff won their runoff elections, the Democrats were handed effective control of the U.S. Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding a tie-breaking vote. It was also the first time a Democrat had won a Georgia Senate seat since Max Cleland in 1996.

Perdue Files With FEC, ‘Leaning Heavily Toward’ Challenging Raphael Warnock In 2022 Senate Race

2022 Election

Raphael Warnock

U.S. Senate

Former Senator David Perdue (R-GA) acknowledged defeat Friday in the Georgia run-off race against Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff, the election’s projected winner. 
In a statement Friday, Perdue described serving as Georgia’s senator since 2015 as the “honor of a lifetime,” and said he was grateful for the support Georgians showed to him over the years. “I am very proud of how our team in Georgia and Washington, D.C. fought everyday to deliver real results for all eleven million Georgians,” said Perdue. 
“Although we won the general election, we came up short of Georgia’s 50% rule, and now I want to congratulate the Democratic Party and my opponent for this runoff win,” added Perdue. “Bonnie and I will continue to pray for our wonderful state and our great country. May God continue to bless Georgia and the United States of America.”
DecisionDeskHQ, a <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/">prominent election’s tracker</a>, shows Ossoff with 50.5% of the vote and defeating Perdue by 1% of the vote. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), who was running in a separate senate race on the same ballot, lost to Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock by nearly 2% of the vote, shows the DecisionDeskHQ election’s tracker. 
Loeffler said Thursday that she had called Warnock and wished him “well in serving this great state.”
“While my heart breaks at not being able to continue to serve Georgia and America, I’m tremendously proud of all we’ve achieved together, and I owe so much to my incredible team that became like family to me, both in my campaign, and in my official office. It’s been an honor to serve together,” she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Serving our great state has been the honor of my lifetime.
Thank you, Georgia! <a href="https://t.co/MQc0rFS208">pic.twitter.com/MQc0rFS208</a>
— Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) <a href="https://twitter.com/KLoeffler/status/1347313878116478979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
An analysis of the race, written by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-numbers-dont-lie-voter-turnout-is-the-reason-ossoff-and-warnock-won">The Daily Wire&#8217;s</a> Ian Haworth, attributes the losses to lower Republican turnout and higher Democratic turnout.
<blockquote>In the counties of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb — the counties which surround Atlanta — Warnock outperformed his November margins. In Fulton, he increased his margin by 2%. In Gwinnett, 4%. In Cobb, 2.4%. In DeKalb, 2.5%. In the top 35 most populous counties that Loeffler won, she underperformed her November margins, in some cases by multiple percentage points.
&#8230;
The same is true of the closer race between Ossoff and Perdue. In Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb, Ossoff outperformed his November margins. Indeed, in every county that Ossoff won, he outperformed his November margins, and even flipped two counties (Baldwin and Washington). Perdue, on the other hand, consistently underperformed in multiple counties. Given that Perdue only received 1.8% more than Ossoff in the November election, it’s easy to see how Ossoff achieved his victory.</blockquote>
With both Georgia senators having been defeated, Democrats will now command a slim majority in the House, an effective majority in the Senate — where Vice President-elect Kamala Harris can serve as a tie-breaking vote — and hold control of the White House.

Sen. Perdue Holds Campaign Event On First Day Of Early Voting For Georgia Runoff Election

David Perdue Acknowledges Defeat In Georgia Run-Off Race Against Jon Ossoff

After weeks of campaigning in the turbulent and chaotic aftermath of November 3rd, Georgia’s runoff elections are finally over. With only a handful of votes left to be counted, both Republican incumbents have been defeated. Jon Ossoff — a millionaire armchair socialist-lite — beat David Perdue by over 41,000 votes (0.92%), and Raphael Warnock — a radical who has espoused anti-Semitic and anti-American sentiments — beat Kelly Loeffler by over 79,000 votes (1.8%). 
While it is possible that recounts will be requested, both margins are larger than the threshold required to automatically trigger a recount under Georgia law.
Many close to President Trump expressed disbelief consistent with the denial demonstrated since November’s election, including White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who <a href="https://twitter.com/kayleighmcenany/status/1346845701284753410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1346845701284753410%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D178746action%3Dedit">implied</a> that Warnock’s win was illegitimate. It is likely that some will continue to refuse to accept the reality that Trump, and some who aligned with Trump, lost the election. Setting that debate aside, however, to apply that logic to the Georgia runoff races is simply an act of mathematical denial.
A basic analysis of the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/05/us/elections/results-georgia-runoffs.html"> vote</a> explains precisely why Loeffler will soon be replaced by a radical socialist embroiled in multiple scandals. In the counties of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb — the counties which surround Atlanta — Warnock outperformed his November margins. In Fulton, he increased his margin by 2%. In Gwinnett, 4%. In Cobb, 2.4%. In DeKalb, 2.5%. In the top 35 most populous counties that Loeffler won, she underperformed her November margins, in some cases by multiple percentage points. 
When one candidate improves and another declines, it doesn’t take a mathematical genius to understand why the improved candidate has a better chance of emerging victorious in an already tight race.
The same is true of the closer race between Ossoff and Perdue. In Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb, Ossoff outperformed his November margins. Indeed, in every county that Ossoff won, he outperformed his November margins, and even flipped two counties (Baldwin and Washington). Perdue, on the other hand, consistently underperformed in multiple counties. Given that Perdue only received 1.8% more than Ossoff in the November election, it’s easy to see how Ossoff achieved his victory.
The brutal fact is that Republicans lost in Georgia solely because Republican voter turnout decreased since November. The driving factors behind this reduction in turnout in historically red counties are numerous, but likely include the campaign against the security and safety of the elections in Georgia. It’s difficult, after all, to convince people to vote while also claiming that their vote is meaningless. While that campaign ultimately drove down voter turnout, the Democrats focused on the opposite.
If Republicans and conservatives hope to avoid making the same mistakes of this election, then it’s crucial that we learn from these mistakes. At its heart, this means understanding that turnout cannot be taken for granted and that any electoral strategy which involves suppressing our own vote will have dire consequences.
Ultimately, the Democrats will now control the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate entirely because of Republicans&#8217; self-inflicted wounds. 
Ian Haworth is host of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPxdVsNp7k&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuTQRVv1IOVMnA735vEYO0f5">The Ian Haworth Show</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E05t2L69Sks&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuRHu5r0IV5qr4h2rBAV9oBd">The Truth in 60 Seconds</a>. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">@ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Ossoff and Warnock

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Voter Turnout Is The Reason Ossoff And Warnock Won

Election 2020

Jon Ossoff

Kelly Loeffler

If Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff ultimately prevails over incumbent GOP senator David Perdue (and at this moment the issue is still in doubt), the Democrats will control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, which has occurred in five different periods since World War II.
One possible comfort for members of the GOP if they lose the Senate: in the last forty years, the two times the Democratic Party has controlled all three entities it has only lasted for two years: 1993-1994, 2009-2010. In the ten years before that, they controlled all three entities for four years: 1977-1980.
Following the tenure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, when the Democrats held control of those three entities for his entire twelve-year tenure (1933-1945), the Democrats held control between the years 1949-1952, 1961-1968, 1977-1980, 1993-1994, and 2009-2010. The GOP has controlled the three entities in 1953-54, 2003-2004, and 2016-2017.
In 1949, the Democrats held a whopping 54-42 lead in the Senate, with a 92-vote lead in the House. That shrank to a tiny one-vote Senate lead and 35-vote House lead in 1951. In the 1952 election, the GOP, led by Dwight Eisenhower, won the White House, the Senate, and the House.
The next time the Democrats were in control was in 1961, after the election of John F. Kennedy. Their Senate lead was massive: 64-36; (they had gained that huge lead in the 1985 elections) their House lead was 89 votes. They essentially kept similar numbers through the presidency of Lyndon Johnson; Richard Nixon’s election in 1968 gave the GOP the White House, but the House of Representatives was in control of the Democratic Party for an astonishing forty years, from the 1954 elections until the 1994 elections.
The election of Bill Clinton in 1992 gave the Democrats control of all three entities for the first time in 24 years; they controlled the Senate by a large margin, 57-43, and held a sizable 82-vote lead in the House.
The 1994 election, though, was a historic reversal; the GOP swept 56 seats in the House, turning what had been an 82-vote deficit into a 30-vote majority. After the election of 2000, the GOP gained control of the White House with the election of George W. Bush, still held control of the House, and actually would have controlled the Senate, which had wound up in a 50-50 tie, but Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont switched from the Republican Party to become an independent, received his committee assignments from the Senate Democrats and became chairman of a standing committee, thus denying control to the GOP.
The GOP did gain control in 2003, garnering a three-vote Senate lead and a mere 12-vote majority in the House. The four years between 2003-2007 were the longest the GOP had controlled all three entities since before Roosevelt.
In 2012, Barack Obama’s election meant the Democrats gained control of all three entities; the Democrats held a huge 60-40 majority in the Senate and a 79-vote lead in the House. That only lasted two years; in 2016 the GOP gained control of all three entities; that only lasted two years.

Capitol Building in Washington, DC

Recent History Of One-Party Rule Shows It Doesn’t Last For Long

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue both face potential losses in their Senate runoff races as election night continues to unfold in Georgia.
With more than 98% of the vote already counted, Reverend Raphael Warnock, a far-left Democrat, is up by approximately 50,000 votes over Loeffler and has been declared the winner by multiple news organizations. The razor thin margin that Perdue had over Democrat Jon Ossoff late on Tuesday night quickly evaporated and turned into a deficit of more than 15,000 votes.
&#8220;In largely complete results, Republican Sen. David Perdue won smaller vote margins than in November in about one-third of Georgia&#8217;s counties,&#8221; The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-2021?mod=hp_lead_pos1">reported</a>. &#8220;Where he underperformed tells a clear story: His biggest erosion came in counties that are home to many rural, Black voters.&#8221;
&#8220;Ten of the 11 counties in which Mr. Perdue&#8217;s vote margin declined most from November are labelled as &#8216;African American South&#8217; counties by the American Communities Project, which sorts the nation&#8217;s 3,100 counties by their demographic characteristics. It puts 84 of Georgia&#8217;s 159 counties into this category,&#8221; The Journal added. &#8220;By contrast, Mr. Perdue&#8217;s biggest margin gains compared with November came in a mix of county types. Among them were Bartow and Lumpkin counties, both exurbs of Atlanta, as well as Stephens County, considered an evangelical Christian stronghold. But in a sign that other factors are at work, Mr. Perdue also made strong gains in several other counties categorized as African American South.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Statement from our campaign: <a href="https://t.co/evoAgl05dy">pic.twitter.com/evoAgl05dy</a>
&mdash; David Perdue (@Perduesenate) <a href="https://twitter.com/Perduesenate/status/1346718678868516865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Late on Tuesday night, Loeffler addressed her supporters, saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m asking for every single Georgian, every single American, stay in the fight with us. We&#8217;re going to keep fighting for you. This is about protecting the American dream.&#8221;
&#8220;With the races being so close, election officials with the Secretary of State&#8217;s office say they expect at least one campaign to request a recount,&#8221; Fox 5 <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/warnock-claims-victory-in-georgia-senate-runoff-loeffler-does-not-concede">reported</a>. &#8220;Under Georgia law, a candidate can request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to 0.5%. That request has to be made within two business days of the results being certified.&#8221;
This report has been updated to include additional information.

US-POLITICS-VOTE-SENATE

Republican Senators In Georgia Facing Potential Disaster As Election Night Unfolds

On Tuesday January 5th, Georgia will host two runoff elections to decide who will represent the state in the US Senate. On November 3rd, incumbents Sen. David Perdue and Sen. Kelly Loeffler and challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock failed to garner 50% of the vote. According to Georgia law, such races must be decided by a majority of the electorate.
Here is what the final polling data is showing on the eve of the elections which will determine whether the GOP will maintain control of the US Senate, or if the Democrats will achieve an effective majority with a 50-50 split being broken by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
<a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/senate/ga/georgia_senate_runoff_election_perdue_vs_ossoff-7319.html#polls">Latest Polls</a> &#8211; Sen. David Perdue vs. Jon Ossoff
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">RealClear Politics Polling Average (12/14 &#8211; 1/3): Ossoff +1%.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fox 5 (1/3): Tie</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Trafalgar (12/23 &#8211; 12/27): Ossoff +2%.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">WXIA/SUSA (12/16 &#8211; 12/20): Ossoff +5%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emerson (12/14 &#8211; 12/16): Perdue +3%.</li>
</ul>
From <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/senate/ga/georgia_senate_perdue_vs_ossoff-7067.html">July to late October</a>, Sen. Perdue led Ossoff in the RCP polling average. However, in the month of October, Ossoff rapidly closed in on Perdue, overtaking him on October 29th. 
The final polling average had Ossoff at +0.7%, while Perdue went on to beat Ossoff by 1.8% on Election Day.
<a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/senate/ga/georgia_senate_special_election_runoff_loeffler_vs_warnock-7318.html">Latest Polls</a> &#8211; Sen. Kelly Loeffler vs. Raphael Warnock
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">RealClear Politics Polling Average (12/14 &#8211; 1/3): Warnock +1.3%.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fox 5 (1/3): Tie</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Trafalgar (12/23 &#8211; 12/27): Warnock +1%.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">WXIA/SUSA (12/16 &#8211; 12/20): Warnock +7%.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Emerson (12/14 &#8211; 12/16): Loeffler +3%.</li>
</ul>
Prior to November’s General Election, <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/senate/ga/georgia_senate_special_election_open_primary-7069.html">polling data</a> suggested that Warnock was ahead of Loeffler. The RCP polling average put Warnock at +15.7%, WSB-TV at +11%, Emerson at +12%, PPP at +19%, and Monmouth at +19%. 
After Election Day, Warnock had a lead of +7%. It should be noted, however, that this was an open primary, with Republican Doug Collins receiving 20% of the total vote. Hypothetically, had Sen. Loeffler received Collins’ votes, she would have beaten Warnock by 13%.
Key Takeaways
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The polls for the General Election were inaccurate for both races (off by 2.5% for Perdue vs Ossoff and off by 8.7% for Loeffler vs Warnock). Not only that, pollsters incorrectly predicted that Ossoff would beat Sen. Perdue.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ossoff’s current polling lead of +1% is similar to his +0.7% lead prior to November’s election. However, Warnock’s lead of +15.7% in November for the General Election is now just +1.3% for the runoff. While this may be caused by the fact that only two candidates are now on the ballot, this could also indicate a decline in popularity for the radical Warnock.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">No major poll correctly predicted the winner of both races. Emerson were the only organization to correctly predict that Perdue would emerge victorious, but they also incorrectly predicted that Loeffler would beat Warnock by 3%.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">While the accuracy and reliability of the polling data is clearly questionable, it is interesting to note that there are several discrepancies between polls for the same candidate. While the Fox 5 poll predicts a tie for both candidates, and Emerson predicts a 3% victory by both Republican candidates, the RealClear Politics average differs by 0.3%, Trafalgar by 1%, and WXIA/SUSA by 2% for both Democrat candidates. If accurate, this indicates that Ossoff and Warnock are experiencing differing levels of support within their party.</li>
</ul>
Ian Haworth is host of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPxdVsNp7k&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuTQRVv1IOVMnA735vEYO0f5">The Ian Haworth Show</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E05t2L69Sks&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuRHu5r0IV5qr4h2rBAV9oBd">The Truth in 60 Seconds</a>. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">@ighaworth</a>.

Georgia Runoff Elections: Will The ‘Expert’ Pollsters Be Wrong Again?

Georgia Senator David Perdue (R-GA) said Thursday that he will self-quarantine after he was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, in accordance with the self-quarantine guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Perdue said that the close contact occurred with someone on the campaign, but that both he and his wife have tested negative for COVID-19. The Georgia senator&#8217;s campaign said the Perdues would both follow CDC guidelines for self-quarantine after exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual.
&#8220;The senator and his wife have been tested regularly throughout the campaign, and the team will continue to follow CDC guidelines,&#8221; said his campaign in a statement. &#8220;Further information will be provided when available.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement from our campaign: <a href="https://t.co/3U3TJ9Va9l">pic.twitter.com/3U3TJ9Va9l</a>
— David Perdue (@Perduesenate) <a href="https://twitter.com/Perduesenate/status/1344739413243387904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
Under CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html">guidelines</a>, people who come in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 10 days, or 7 days if the person tests negative at least five days into their self-quarantine. Even after leaving quarantine, the CDC says people should watch for symptoms to develop up to 14 days after exposure to COVID-19. 
It&#8217;s not clear how long Perdue will be in self-quarantine, but in a follow-up post on Thursday evening, the Georgia senator said he planned to do a &#8220;whole lot of virtual campaigning&#8221; in the lead-up to the Georgia Senate runoff election.
&#8220;Thanks to everyone who has called, texted, and reached out. Bonnie and I are at home, feeling great, and getting ready to ring in the new year — with a whole lot of virtual campaigning! Hope you all have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year’s Eve,&#8221; tweeted Perdue.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thanks to everyone who has called, texted, and reached out. Bonnie and I are at home, feeling great, and getting ready to ring in the new year — with a whole lot of virtual campaigning!
Hope you all have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year’s Eve! <a href="https://t.co/84LUFj1jFc">pic.twitter.com/84LUFj1jFc</a>
— David Perdue (@Perduesenate) <a href="https://twitter.com/Perduesenate/status/1344806073027457025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
Perdue&#8217;s self-quarantine period comes only days ahead of the Georgia runoff election in which Perdue will compete for a second term against Democratic challenger John Ossoff. In the other Georgia Senate race, Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) will compete against Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock to finish the term of former Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who resigned from the Senate last New Year’s Eve for health reasons.
Loeffler herself was in self-quarantine back in late November following a series of conflicting test results. The junior Georgia senator soon came out of quarantine after returning two negative tests results.
The Georgia Senate runoffs, which have attracted considerable national attention, will decide the fate of the Senate majority for the next Congress, which convenes January 3. Should both Perdue and Loeffler win re-election, the next Congress will be split similarly to the current Congress, where Republicans hold a Senate majority, and Democrats hold a majority in the House.

Perdue To Self-Quarantine After Close COVID-19 Contact, Says He’ll Do ‘Whole Lot Of Virtual Campaigning’

COVID

<div class="css-1dbjc4n">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-156q2ks">
Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, both facing runoff elections for their seats in Georgia next month, came out Tuesday in support of President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to raise coronavirus relief checks from $600 to $2,000.
Loeffler and Perdue&#8217;s seats are among particular importance since their potential runoff wins against Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff could maintain the Senate majority for the Republicans.
Though Trump signed a bipartisan package on Sunday night that included $600 relief checks, the president&#8217;s calls for more substantial relief promoted a bill that passed the House Monday night with two-thirds majority, including 44 Republicans, Mass Live <a href="https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/12/second-stimulus-checks-update-republican-georgia-sens-kelly-loeffler-and-david-perdue-support-2000-checks-as-they-look-to-retain-seats.html">reported</a>.
&#8220;$2000 for our great people, not $600!&#8221; Trump demanded Tuesday. &#8220;They have suffered enough from the China Virus!!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
$2000 for our great people, not $600! They have suffered enough from the China Virus!!!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1343916418316824583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I agree with [Donald Trump] — we need to deliver $2,000 direct relief checks to the American people,&#8221; Loeffler posted to Twitter, two hours after Trump&#8217;s tweet about the relief checks. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I agree with <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> — we need to deliver $2,000 direct relief checks to the American people.
&mdash; Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) <a href="https://twitter.com/KLoeffler/status/1343948171018436614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;President [Donald Trump] is right — I support this push for $2,000 in direct relief for the American people,&#8221; Perdue similarly posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdonaldtrump</a> is right — I support this push for $2,000 in direct relief for the American people. <a href="https://t.co/Al3USM7zPr">https://t.co/Al3USM7zPr</a>
&mdash; David Perdue (@Perduesenate) <a href="https://twitter.com/Perduesenate/status/1343943989804867585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In order for the $2,000 check measure to pass in the Senate, at least 12 Republicans would need to join all 48 members of the Democratic Caucus,&#8221; Mass Lives noted, adding that Republican Sens. Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, and Josh Hawley have, too, come out in support of $2,000 relief checks.
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-shreds-coronavirus-stimulus-bill-demands-congress-give-significantly-larger-checks">slammed</a> Congress over a coronavirus stimulus bill for its emphasis on foreign assistance and lack of direct aid to Americans.
“Throughout the summer, Democrats cruelly blocked COVID relief legislation in an effort to advance their extreme left-wing agenda and influence the election,” Trump said in an address last Tuesday, as reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-shreds-coronavirus-stimulus-bill-demands-congress-give-significantly-larger-checks">The Daily Wire</a>. “Then, a few months ago, Congress started negotiations on a new package to get urgently needed help to the American people. It’s taken forever. However, the bill they are planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated.”
“For example, among the more than 5,000 pages in this bill, which nobody in Congress has read because of its length and complexity,” he said. “It’s called the COVID relief bill, but it has almost nothing to do with COVID.”
“This bill contains $85.5 million for assistance to Cambodia; $134 million to Burma; $1.3 billion for Egypt and the Egyptian Military which will go out and buy almost exclusively Russian Military equipment; $25 million for democracy and gender programs in Pakistan; $505 million to Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; $40 million for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which is not even open for business; $1 billion for the Smithsonian; and an additional $154 million for the National Gallery of Art; $7 million for reef fish management; $25 million to combat Asian carp; $2.5 million to count the number of Amber Jack fish in the Gulf of Mexico, a provision to promote the breeding of fish in federal hatcheries; $3 million in poultry production technology; $2 million to research the impact of downed trees; $566 million for construction projects at the FBI,&#8221; Trump blasted. &#8220;The bill also allows stimulus checks for the family members of illegal aliens, allowing them to get up to $1,800 each. This is far more than the Americans are given.”
“Despite all of this wasteful spending and much more, the $900 billion package provides hard-working taxpayers with only $600 each in relief payments and not enough money is given to small businesses and in particular restaurants, whose owners have suffered so grievously,” the president continued. “Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists, and special interests while sending the bare minimum to the American people who need it. It wasn’t their fault, it was China’s fault, not their fault.”
“I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 for a couple,” Trump asserted. “I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation and to send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package.”

President Trump Holds Rally In Georgia For Senate Candidates Loeffler And Perdue

Republicans Loeffler, Perdue Back Trump: $2,000 Coronavirus Relief Checks To Americans

Coronavirus Relief

A field analysis report from the Department of Homeland Security warns of potential violence in Georgia as the two runoff elections for the U.S. Senate near on January 5.
The Georgia run-off elections feature the crucial contests between incumbent GOP senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler and their Democratic challengers, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. If the GOP retains either one of the seats, the party will maintain control of the Senate; if not, the Democrats will control the Senate, House of Representatives, and the White House as there would be a 50-50 tie in the Senate and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris&#8217; vote would break the tie, thus giving president-elect Joe Biden a clear path to implement his agenda.
The report states:
<blockquote>We judge that Georgia faces a potentially heightened physical threat environment over the course of its U.S. Senate runoff election cycle, which may drive ideologically motivated violence or threats of violence similar to those seen nationwide during the 2020 presidential and state election season. We further judge that violent extremists or other actors could quickly mobilize to violence or generate violent disruptions or otherwise lawful protests in response to a range of issues, including possible disputes over the results of the U.S. presidential election.</blockquote>
The report cites several incidents in which threats of violence or actual violence occurred, mentioning “two separate July 2020 incidents, large groups of unidentified actors attacked state and law enforcement buildings” and July 25, 2020, when “approximately 100 people chanting ‘burn it down’ smashed windows and ignited fireworks embedded with nails in an attempt to set fire to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building on downtown Atlanta” as well as a November 21 incident in which “members of groups with opposing ideological views engaged in assaults and physical altercations in front of the Georgia State Capitola in Atlanta.”
The report cited cyber attempts to infiltrate state networks, including late June 2020, when “unidentified malicious cyber threat actors, using a possible foreign-based IP address, unsuccessfully attempted to connect to a Georgia state network associated with election systems” along with an October 2020 successful attempt: “unknown malicious cyber threat actors successfully infected a Georgia county network” which “rendered a local copy of voter signature files saved on a county server and a geographic information  system map of county polling locations temporarily inaccessible for several days during early voting …”
The report continued, &#8220;We assess that foreign threat actors view the national significance of Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff election as an opportunity to use social media and other influence tactics focused on the state.&#8221; The report mentions attempts by Iran and Russia media outlets to “amplify  … divisive narratives” regarding U.S. elections.
<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/government-report-warns-of-potential-violence-and-foreign-interference-during-georgia-senate-runoffs-191001382.html">Yahoo News</a> noted, “The agency based its judgments on a review of national and local media coverage, relevant social media postings, state law enforcement officials detailing ‘ideologically motivated violence or threats of violence’ and its other election violence assessments made over the past six months.&#8221;

Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Warns Of Possible Georgia Violence As Senate Runoff Election Nears

Violence

New polling suggests Jon Ossoff, who is challenging incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) in a runoff election on January 5, is starting to fall behind, due in part to an ongoing scandal involving Chinese business dealings.
Trafalgar Group, one of the most accurate polls in 2020, <a href="https://t.co/chWrezWXwu?amp=1">released a survey </a>on Friday showing Perdue, as well as fellow Republican incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler, each led their opponents by several percentage points. The survey found Perdue leading Ossoff by three points, 50.2% to 47.5%.
Robert Cahaly, chief pollster for Trafalgar, said on Fox News that the reason for Perdue’s growing lead came from Ossoff’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party. As The Daily Wire’s Hank Berrien <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/perdue-on-ossoff-weve-got-a-china-scandal-here-in-my-race">reported</a>, Ossoff’s media company, Insight TWI, received money from a media company linked to the CCP. That media company, PCCW, is 18% owned by China’s state-backed outlet China Unicom. In September, National Review <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/georgia-senate-candidate-jon-ossoff-quietly-discloses-financial-ties-to-pro-ccp-hong-kong-media-company/">reported</a> that, “PCCW, the largest telecom agency in Hong Kong, is run by Chairman Richard Li, son of Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-shing. Li also serves as a councilor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank. But for years, Li has spoken out against Hong Kong independence and the pro-democracy protests that have rocked the island as the Chinese Communist Party has consolidated control.”
Ossoff also accepted at least $5,000 from Al Jazeera, a media company backed by the Qatari government, over the past two years as part of his job as CEO of Insight TWI.
Ossoff failed to report the money he received from those companies on financial disclosure forms, but later amended the reports.
Perdue appeared on “The Erick Erickson Show” last Thursday to discuss the issue, saying, “We’ve got a China scandal here in my race that could make Biden and other scandals like that pale in comparison,” a reference to one of many scandals Democrat Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, faces.
Trafalgar pollster Robert Cahaly said during his Fox News appearance that Ossoff’s China problem has been made worse by recent revelations that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was close to a Chinese spy who had affairs with several other members of his party. Swalwell has denied an affair, but U.S. intelligence officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-u-s-intel-officials-believe-chinese-spy-had-sexual-relationship-with-eric-swalwell">reportedly</a> believe his relationship with Chinese Ministry of State Security operative Christine Fang. Last week, 17 GOP lawmakers wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) asking her to remove Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee, The Daily Wire’s Jon Brown <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unfit-to-serve-17-house-republicans-urge-pelosi-to-remove-swalwell-from-intel-committee">reported</a>.
“We write to you today out of concern with Congressman Eric Swalwell’s reported, close contacts with a Chinese Communist Party spy recently reported by Axios,” the letter began, according to a copy obtained by The Daily Wire. “Because of Rep. Swalwell’s position on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, his close interactions with Chinese intelligence services, however unintentional they may be, are an unacceptable national security risk.”

Polling Suggests Jon Ossoff’s China Scandal Is Hurting His Election Chances

All eyes are on the two Georgia senate races that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in 2021.
The latest <a href="https://emersonpolling.reportablenews.com/pr/georgia-2020-incumbent-republicans-with-slight-advantages-in-senate-run-offs">poll</a>, from Emerson College Polling, shows the two incumbent Republicans with a slight edge over the opposing Democrats. Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) obtained “nearly identical 51% to 48% advantages over Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock,” the poll found.
Spencer Kimball, Director of Emerson College Polling said that the poll’s “data revealed there is little crossover support, which suggests one party should win both seats.”
The poll found predictably large age differences in candidate support, with younger voters – those aged 18-29 – breaking heavily for the Democrats (69% for Ossoff, 71% for Warnock) and older voters – over 65 years old – supporting the Republicans (59% for Perdue, 60% for Loeffler). Those aged 30-44 were more split on the candidates, with 48% saying they supported Perdue and 51% saying they supported Ossoff. For the special election, 48% of the same age bracket said they supported Loeffler while 49% said they supported Warnock. Republicans firmly won those aged 45-64 as well, though by a lower margin than with voters over 65.
The poll also found the timing of when people planned to vote made a difference of who they supported.
“Those planning on voting early are split, with Perdue and Ossoff each receiving 49%. In the other contested election, Warnock is at 50% with Loeffler at 49%. Sixty-one percent (61%) of those who have already voted break for Ossoff and Warnock, with 39% supporting the Republican candidates. Election day voters are breaking for the Republicans, with 68% support for Perdue and 70% for Loeffler,” Emerson reported.
As expected, those without college degrees prefer the Republican candidates while those with postgraduate degrees prefer Democrats.
“Those with some college or college degrees are split between the candidates, while the Republican candidates have a strong base with those voters having a high school degree or less &#8211; garnering 58% of the vote for Loeffler and 57% for Perdue. Those earning postgraduate degrees or higher break for the Democratic candidates, with 55% of the vote each,” Emerson found.
Men preferred Republican candidates by a larger margin than women preferred the Democrats, the poll also found. “Male voters break for Loeffler and Perdue 53% to 47%. Female voters break for the Democrat Ossoff 50% to 49%, while Loeffler leads Warnock 50% to 49% among female voters.”
Despite the prevalence of the coronavirus and the constant focus on the pandemic, Georgia voters said the economy was their most important issue, with 31% saying this while 24% said the COVID-19 response was most important to them. Healthcare came in at 15% and social justice received 12%.
“The two Republican candidates are leading with voters who identify the economy as their top issue, each garnering 84% of that vote. However, on the next three most important issues, the Democratic candidates lead among those who said COVID-19 response (Ossoff 69% support, Warnock 67%); healthcare (Ossoff 60% support, Warnock 63%) and social justice (Warnock 79% support, Ossoff 77%),” the poll found.

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