Good news for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in the Georgia runoffs
Although they didn’t receive much publicity during the 2020 election, the Georgia run-off races are now front and center of the nation – especially as the GOP is imploding with both its voters and political leaders alike revealing their true anti-democratic nature, thinking they can cling to the presidency with a series of frivolous investigations and lawsuits. It may be tempting to think that Donald Trump lashing out at Georgia’s politicians will discourage right-wing voters from turning out at all and candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock will win their seats easily, but this is far from a time that we can be complacent.
It’s good news that Warnock and Ossoff are both pulling ahead of their Republican opponents, both of whom are drowning in news of financial scandals. Now, there’s another bit of good news: voter enthusiasm for Warnock and Ossoff voters is off the charts. A new poll commissioned by HIT Strategies suggests that 83% of African-American women – a key demographic that helped give Joe Biden a win in Georgia are very likely to vote in the runoffs – with an additional 4% saying they were somewhat likely to vote. In urban parts of the state, that number is up to 96%.
Both candidates are also polling with near 80% favorability among African-American voters overall, while both Loeffler and Perdue have underwater approval ratings that are likely to only get worse the longer that COVID stimulus talks falter. If just over 30% of white voters turn out for Ossoff and Warnock, they can win this, and give the state federal representation it truly deserves. Donate or volunteer your time however you can.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making