By: Jemima McEvoy
TOPLINE
With 3 million votes already cast for the U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia, state Democratic Party pillar Stacey Abrams, who has been credited with crucial organizing that led to President-elect Joe Biden’s overall win in Georgia, said a wave of enthusiasm among new voters can be attributed to the GOP’s handling of Covid-19 relief.
KEY FACTS
- During a Sunday morning appearance on ABC News’ “This Week,” Abrams said that voters in Georgia have been “galvanized” by the Republicans’ opposition to broader pandemic relief, including $2,000 stimulus checks and aid for municipal governments.
- “It’s the Republicans who have done it for us,” said Abrams, crediting the party for an influx of new voters.
- According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, over 114,000 Georgians who didn’t participate in the general election have cast ballots in the runoffs, a bloc that is more racially diverse than the state’s electorate at 37% Black and 43% white.
- Abrams previously said that the Democratic Party felt it was in a “good place” to win the challenges to GOP incumbents Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue due to the demographic makeup of the swath of new voters.
- “They feel the very real consequences of Covid-19 here in Georgia,” said Abrams.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“This is going to be a very tough battle, but it is absolutely within the realm of possibility … In fact, the realm of likelihood that the Democrats can win,” Abrams told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
CHIEF CRITIC
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) acknowledged the “massive Democratic turnout” in Georgia during a Fox News interview, encouraging conservative voters to hit the polls. “A Democratic majority… I think they will do generational damage that will empower the extreme, angry, Leftist voices,” said Cruz. “If you are in Georgia, please, please, please, come out and bring your friends and your family and your neighbors.”
SURPRISING FACT
Early voting for the Jan. 5 runoff elections has rivaled early voting in the general election, which by this point had tallied 18% more votes at 3.6 million.
KEY BACKGROUND
An average of polls on the Georgia runoffs compiled by data-focused news site FiveThirtyEight gives a slight lead to both of the Democratic candidates: Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock. Per the poll average, which is just a limited measure of public opinion, Ossoff leads Purdue by 1.2 points while Warnock is ahead of Loeffler by 1.8. Though it’s impossible to determine for which candidate the early votes were cast, state election data analyzed by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution indicated that more ballots have been cast by groups and in areas that typically favor Democrats.
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To see original article please visit: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/01/03/georgia-senate-runoffs-gop-has-galvanized-turnout-by-blocking-2000-checks-stacey-abrams-says/?sh=10aa64bf30f8
