ATLANTA (AP) – When Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock advanced to the second round of the U.S. Senate on Jan. 5, they faced the immediate challenge of winning the 2 million voters who they chose one of the other 18 candidates in the November elections.
Polls show they have been largely successful, and that could give Loeffler, the incumbent, a small edge.
U.S. Republican Representative Doug Collins finished third in the November vote that ended with Republican candidates winning 48,000 more votes than Democratic candidates. In Georgia’s second election, Republican Sen. David Perdue began with an even broader lead, after getting 88,000 more votes in November than Democrat Jon Ossoff. Because he did not get the majority, however, Perdue was forced to flee.
Participation could be the deciding factor.
As of Wednesday, nearly 2.1 million voters had voted, roughly at the pace of the Nov. 3 general election. It is unclear how the Christmas holidays will affect the pace of voting. Face-to-face early voting is done through Dec. 31 in some counties.
One thing that helps voters to be part is the decision of the candidates of the two races to present themselves as tickets, with joint appearances and announcements. J. Miles Coleman, of the University of Virginia Policy Center, said the joint effort has helped Warnock end Democratic voters.
“He and Ossoff have done a better job of running as a ticket,” Coleman said. “I think overall this will benefit Warnock and help him consolidate some of his support.”
With candidates presented as tickets, parties are unlikely to split seats. Two wins would cause Democrats to control the U.S. Senate and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would break the tie between 50 and 50. A split or two victories for the Republican Party would keep Republicans in control.
Deborah Jackson, a former mayor of the Lithonia suburb of Atlanta, finished fourth in November, the Democratic runner-up behind Warnock. She benefited from being a black woman, an amount known to the Democratic stronghold of DeKalb County and the first Democrat to appear on a ballot so long that Warnock had to remind supporters to go down until they found their first name.
“I had a tangible, hands-on experience,” Jackson said. “I think some people were interested.”
He said some people felt offended because major national and state Democrats tried to leave the field in Warnock, but said he still supports it unreservedly.
“Democrats need to control the Senate, or at least there needs to be a balance,” Jackson said.
At least one of Jackson’s supporters agrees. Laura Durojaiye of Stonecrest said she has already voted for Warnock.
“I think he will get all his votes,” Durojaiye said, saying he believes Warnock is someone who will learn in the Senate and support his priorities in tackling climate change and social inequality.
Shane Hazel, the libertarian who won the most important vote that forced Perdue and Ossoff to enter a second round, said his voters could leave the second phase, telling Hazel “they will never vote for anyone again for for “.
One of the state’s leading early voting counties is Rabun (in the northeast corner of Georgia), where President Donald Trump and Perdue got 78% of the vote.
“I’m convinced Democrats could run Mother Teresa and get 20%,” said Ed Henderson, Rabun County Republican Party secretary.
As in the other counties in his northeastern Georgia congressional district, Collins was the top voter in the Senate special election. “This was Collins’ country, ”Henderson said.
Collins, however, has been a staunch supporter of Loeffler and Perdue.
While nearly 40 percent of Rabun’s registered voters have already voted, Henderson said he is concerned that Trump’s relentless attacks on the integrity of Georgia’s presidential election are hurting Republican participation there, citing “divine veneration. “that residents have for the president
“My biggest problem in this election cycle is that there’s a mistrust in the system,” said Henderson, who said a handful of strong Republicans told him they were holding elections, saying they believed Trump was deceived. , despite little credible evidence of wrongdoing.
Henderson also worries that Loeffler has never been to his county, so far from Atlanta that many watch television outside the state.
“It would be very helpful for them to come here in person and tell our voters that they would like to get our vote,” Henderson said of the Republican candidates.
Democrats have their own problems. Early voting is delayed in smaller urban areas of Georgia, including Savannah, Augusta, Macon and Columbus, and Democratic votes have been disappointing in rural areas.
“Democrats have really fought to get black voters in rural areas of the state,” Coleman said. “Will Democrats be able to do well enough in the rural areas of the state?”