Ballot counting had been delayed because of widespread Election Day breakdowns in Georgia on Tuesday, with the deployment of new voting machines and changes to polling locations contributing to hours-long waits at some precincts — particularly in metropolitan Atlanta. Edison Media Research projected Ossoff’s outright victory Thursday as he had 50.8 percent of the vote with 99 percent of precincts reporting.
“This is the beginning of a new chapter in Georgia’s history and the beginning of the end for disgraced David Perdue,” Ossoff said in a statement Wednesday as he claimed victory.
Ossoff’s outright win is a boon for Democrats, who will avoid a divisive runoff, but many Republicans also are pleased with the result — having successfully tagged Ossoff as a callow liberal in the 2017 race to fill a vacant seat in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.
Perdue’s campaign and national Republicans are signaling an intent to run a similar playbook this year. In a statement Wednesday, Perdue campaign manager Ben Fry dismissed Ossoff was a “part-time filmmaker and liberal elite with zero real world accomplishments.”
“Now more than ever, Georgians need outsider David Perdue and his experienced leadership in the U.S. Senate,” Fry said, calling Ossoff “nothing but a rubber stamp” for national Democratic leaders.
Ossoff, meanwhile, has leveled sharp attacks against Perdue, accusing the former business executive of prioritizing personal and corporate interests over the state’s. And Ossoff has shown political discipline in the primary race, honing a message focused on health care and civil rights, building fundraising momentum and winning the key endorsement of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the race toward Democrats last month, from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican,” citing a deteriorating national environment for the GOP and several polls showing a competitive race.
Georgia voters also will cast ballots in a November special election for the state’s other U.S. Senate seat, now held by Republican Kelly Loeffler. In that special election, voters will select from a field of about 20 candidates from both parties; the two top finishers will go to a runoff on Jan. 5, 2021.
