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Republican Sen. David Perdue of Georgia will be in quarantine after being exposed to someone infected with Covid-19, and will remove him from the campaign trail a few days before fierce disputes over his seat.
According to a statement issued by his campaign, the senator was informed on Thursday that he had entered “close contact with someone in the campaign who tested positive for Covid-19”.
“Both Senator Perdue and his wife have said no today, but following their doctor’s recommendations and in accordance with CDC guidelines, they will be quarantined,” the statement said.
David Perdue
(@Perduesenate)Statement of our campaign: pic.twitter.com/3U3TJ9Va9l
The campaign did not specify how long it planned to quarantine the senator. Donald Trump is expected to hold a rally in support of Republican candidates in Georgia on Monday, the eve of the election that will determine control of the Senate.
Jon Ossoff is challenging Perdue as Senator Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to her seat last December, faces Raphael Warnock. Neither Perdue nor Loeffler cleared the 50% threshold needed to win their seats directly, which led to the playoffs on January 5th.
If Perdue and Loeffler lose their careers, the Senate chamber would be evenly divided between the parties, and Kamala Harris would serve as a tiebreaker vote when she takes office as vice president. Polls suggest the contests are close and that candidates ’destinations are likely to be united.
The twin elections have drawn national attention after Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate since 1992 to lead the state. As a sign of this enthusiasm, more than 2.8 million voters in Georgia have already voted: record turnout for the by-elections.
Harris will visit Georgia to campaign for Democrats on Sunday, while Biden will hold an event on Monday.