United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)

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2014
U.S. Senate, Georgia
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 6, 2020
Primary: June 9, 2020
Primary runoff: August 11, 2020
General: November 3, 2020
General runoff: January 5, 2021

Pre-election incumbent:
David Perdue (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Georgia
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
U.S. Senate, Georgia
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Georgia elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
U.S. Senate elections, 2020
U.S. House elections, 2020


Jon Ossoff won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Georgia outright on June 9, 2020, having received more than 50% of the vote. Media attention focused on Ossoff, Sarah Riggs Amico, and Teresa Tomlinson throughout the primary.

Ossoff's background included work as a legislative aide and an investigative journalist. He also ran in the 2017 special election for Georgia's 6th Congressional District—the most expensive House race in history as of the 2020 primary. Ossoff said he had experience fighting corruption and that "we’re building a movement to mount an all-out attack on corruption in Washington." He also referred to the support his 2017 campaign garnered as equipping him to run for Senate.[1]

Amico was executive chairwoman of her family's trucking company and the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2018. She said she was "the only candidate in this race who has been out there creating and saving thousands of jobs for more than 16 years" and that she won more votes than any other Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial candidate in the state's history.[2]

Tomlinson, former mayor of Columbus, Georgia, said she was the only candidate "who’s ever won an election, and I’m the only one who’s ever served in elected office," saying that experience was needed to defeat an incumbent. Tomlinson said she had raised more money from Georgia donors than Ossoff. She said, "From the beginning, this battle has been Ossoff’s 2017 national fundraising network vs. our ‘For Georgians, by Georgians’ campaign."[3]

Each of the candidates said they supported expanding Medicare and background checks on gun purchases. Each said they opposed open borders and abolishing private insurance from the healthcare system. Each also said they would not accept money from corporate political action committees.[2][1][4]

Also running were Marckeith DeJesus, James Knox, Tricia Carpenter McCracken, and Maya Dillard Smith.

Incumbent David Perdue (R) was elected in 2014 with 53% of the vote to Democrat Michelle Nunn's 45%. Republicans held a majority in the Senate during the 116th Congress with 53 seats to Democrats' 45. Two independents caucused with Democrats. Click here to learn more about what's at stake in the general election.

Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:


Amico

Ossoff

Tomlinson


This page focuses on Georgia's United States Senate Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the state's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Click here to read about the special election for the seat held by Johnny Isakson (R).

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Georgia modified its primary election process as follows:

  • Election postponements: The statewide and presidential preference primary elections were postponed to June 9, 2020.
  • Voting procedures: Absentee ballot application forms to all active voters in the primary election.
  • Political party events: The Republican Party of Georgia canceled its state convention, originally scheduled to take place on May 29-30, 2020.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.


Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Georgia

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jon Ossoff
Jon Ossoff Candidate Connection
 
52.8
 
626,819
Image of Teresa Tomlinson
Teresa Tomlinson Candidate Connection
 
15.8
 
187,416
Image of Sarah Riggs Amico
Sarah Riggs Amico
 
11.8
 
139,574
Image of Maya Dillard Smith
Maya Dillard Smith Candidate Connection
 
8.8
 
105,000
Image of James Knox
James Knox Candidate Connection
 
4.2
 
49,452
Image of Marckeith DeJesus
Marckeith DeJesus
 
3.9
 
45,936
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Tricia Carpenter McCracken
 
2.7
 
32,463

Total votes: 1,186,660
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[5] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Image of Sarah Riggs Amico

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Amico attended Washington and Lee University and received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She served as executive chairwoman of Jack Cooper, her family's trucking company. Amico was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Georgia in 2018.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Amico said, "I'm the only candidate in this race that's been out there creating and saving thousands of jobs for more than 16 years."


Amico said her faith taught her that "nobody should be sick because they're poor, or poor because they're sick, that we need to protect and sustain the earth, that we have an obligation to stand up for economic security and social justice no matter the color of your skin or who you love."


Amico said she won more votes than any other Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial candidate in the state's history.


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.

Image of Maya Dillard Smith

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Maya Dillard-Smith is a civil rights lawyer, policymaker and economist with 20-years of experience focused on social, political and economic opportunity. With a mastery of the constitution, the economy and legislative advocacy, Maya has been on the frontlines fighting for the needs and rights of Georgians in city halls, county commissions, state legislatures, the U.S. Congress and the courts. She has successfully championed the expansion of Medicaid, reformed justice systems, prevented gun-violence, designed community policing, protected voting rights, conserved the environment and developed affordable housing. A skilled ambassador, Maya has advised members of Congress, the U.S. Census Monitoring Board, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the federal courts. She consulted for the National Bureau of Economic Research and managed $1 billion of public-private appropriations. Without question, Maya is the most qualified and talented candidate. She is also Democrats only chance at beating David Perdue in 2020! Maya is a country breed, city raised, Harvard-trained, African-American working mom of three who knows firsthand the challenges of balancing a family and work to make ends meet....while serving. Maya is a doer who gets things done; she is the change Washington so desperately needs!"


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


The Time is Now! 


When is enough, enough? 


People over profits. Principles over politics.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.

Image of Jon Ossoff

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Ossoff received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and master's degree from the London School of Economics. He worked as a legislative aide to Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), as a journalist, and as a documentary producer. Ossoff ran in the 2017 special election for Georgia's 6th Congressional District.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Ossoff referred to his background as an investigative journalist, saying, "Now we’re building a movement to mount an all-out attack on corruption in Washington — starting with President Donald Trump and Georgia Senator David Perdue."


Ossoff said his 2017 special election campaign started a movement that he would build on in 2020.


Ossoff said he believed "that women have a right to their own healthcare decisions; that our children deserve a clean, beautiful, healthy planet; that America's prosperity should guarantee all of us healthcare and a living wage; and that our democracy depends on defending every Americans' right to vote."


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.

Image of Teresa Tomlinson

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Mayor of Columbus, Georgia (2011-2019)

Submitted Biography "Teresa Tomlinson is an 8th generation Georgian with roots all over the state. She spent the first half of her life in Atlanta, where she graduated from Chamblee High School, and the second half in Columbus, Georgia with her husband Trip. In January 2019, Teresa finished her second highly successful term as the first woman Mayor and Public Safety Director of Columbus, Georgia. As mayor, Tomlinson was the chief elected official of Georgia's second-largest city. She led Columbus through a time of innovative transformation, shaking up the status quo to deliver results for its citizens. She revitalized blighted and under-utilized neighborhoods, improved city services, reformed its budget in the face of declining revenues, dramatically reduced crime, increased citizen engagement and set a vision for unprecedented vibrancy. Thanks to her leadership, Columbus earned a spot as one of the top 25 Best Run Cities in America."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


I will move to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  


I support efforts to ensure the integrity of the voting process and improve our election security, including hand-marked paper ballots as the superior alternative for every election, given that they can be audited after disputed election outcomes.  


I believe that politicians should stay out of the private and highly individualized medical considerations of a woman's reproductive health.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.


Endorsements

This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.


Click links below for endorsement lists from candidates' websites, where available.

Democratic primary endorsements
Endorsement Riggs Amico Ossoff Tomlinson
Elected officials
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.)[6]
U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)[6]
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.)
State Sen. Donzella James (D)[6]
State Sen. Michael A. Rhett (D)[6]
State Sen. Freddie Sims (D)
State Sen. Lester Jackson (D)
State Sen. Harold Jones (D)
State Sen. Ed Harbison (D)
State Sen. David Lucas Sr. (D)
State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D)
State Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D)
State Rep. Debbie Buckner (D)
State Rep. J. Craig Gordon (D)
State Rep. Al Williams (D)
State Rep. Pat Gardner (D)
State Rep. Calvin Smyre (D)
Legislative Black Caucus Chair, State Rep. Karen Bennett (D)[6]
State Rep. Derrick Jackson (D)[6]
State Rep. Debra Bazemore (D)[6]
State Rep. Sharon Beasley-Teague (D)[6]
State Rep. Rhonda Burnough (D)[6]
State Rep. Doreen Carter (D)[6]
State Rep. Shelly Hutchinson (D)[6]
State Rep. Sheila Jones (D)[6]
State Rep. Kim Schofield (D)[6]
State Rep. Erica Thomas (D)[6]
State Rep. Miriam Paris (D)[6]
Individuals
Former 2020 U.S. Senate candidate/former Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry[7]
Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes (D)
Former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland (D)
Former U.S. Rep. Buddy Darden (D)
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young
Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Gordon Griffin
Former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Leah Sears
Former state Sen. Jason Carter (D)
Former state Sen. Gail Buckner (D)
Former state Rep. Tom Sherrill (D)
Organizations
Communication Workers of America-Georgia[8]
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 613[9]
Bricklayers Local 8 Southeast[10]
Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers[11]
Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council[11]
Leadership Now Project[12]
End Citizens United[13]
Women Leaders for the Environment
Democracy for America
National Organization for Women PAC
Asian American Advocacy Fund
National Women's Political Caucus

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Sarah Riggs Amico

Amico’s campaign website stated the following:

Healthcare

The healthcare debate can seem complicated, but it comes down to this:

No one should be poor because they’re sick, and no one should be sick because they’re poor. That’s why Sarah believes that quality, affordable health care is a human right, and no one in this country should go without treatment or access to the care they need.

WHY DOES SARAH BELIEVE THIS?

  • Stories from Georgians. Over the last three years, Sarah has traveled through more than 150 Georgia counties. She has met with Georgia families living without health insurance and spoken to Georgians who have lost a loved one due to the closure of the rural hospital in their town. Sarah has sat down with parents worried about how to access treatment for children with special needs. She has listened as Georgians shared their stories of surprise medical bills and denials of coverage. Simply put, Sarah knows the stakes.
  • A heart for rural Georgia. There are wide swaths of Georgia—particularly in our rural areas—that lack medical specialists. This makes Georgia worse than the national average when it comes to needy areas short of primary health care providers. 60 of our 159 counties have no pediatrician, 76 counties have no obstetrician/gynecologist, and nine counties simply have no doctors at all. Eight rural hospitals have closed since 2013 and more continue to be at risk of closing, leaving tens of thousands of Georgians with dwindling access to healthcare. As someone who grew up in a rural community, Sarah understands that access to healthcare is essential to building both healthy families and healthy economies in our rural communities.
  • Proven track-record. The daughter of a former NICU nurse—and a mom to two little girls—Sarah has been passionate about access to healthcare her whole life. As a business owner, Sarah led an initiative to provide 100% fully funded healthcare premiums to thousands of employees and their families. During the Great Recession, Sarah put her own money into her business to save jobs and healthcare coverage for her employees. As a candidate for statewide office, Sarah has campaigned consistently for more affordable and accessible healthcare for Georgians. She’s been an outspoken advocate on important issues including maternal health, reproductive justice, and full expansion of Medicaid in our state.

WHAT HEALTHCARE POLICIES WILL SARAH SUPPORT AND PRIORITIZE IN THE US SENATE?

1. Protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made huge inroads to reforming our healthcare system, but the Trump administration has worked to dismantle the law entirely. Unchecked by Republicans like David Perdue, the Trump administration has supported a federal lawsuit to throw out the Affordable Care Act—including its protections for tens of millions of Americans with pre-existing medical conditions. In the U.S. Senate, Sarah will work to strengthen the ACA, ensure protections for Americans with pre-existing medical conditions, and restore federal funding to support the ACA exchanges that provide healthcare to more than 20 million Americans.

2. Expand Medicaid. Sarah supports expanding the safety net provided by Medicaid, which ensures poor and low-income Americans have access to health insurance.

3. Lower the age to qualify for Medicare. Lowering the age for Medicare eligibility would introduce a younger, frequently healthier population into the popular insurance program for America’s seniors. This would drive cost efficiencies and expand the safety net for America’s retirees.

4. Create a public option. Allowing Americans to buy into Medicare or Medicaid can introduce stabilizing revenue into these public insurance programs, increase price competition in the private insurance markets, and provide more Americans with healthcare coverage. A public option would increase competition—and lower prices—for private insurance. The public option would also uncouple health insurance from employment for millions of Americans, enabling workers in the gig economy to access stable, quality health insurance. Allowing Americans to keep their private insurance if they choose to, while providing a viable public option alternative, is the next step to creating better health outcomes for lower costs in America’s healthcare system.

5. But does Sarah support “Medicare for All”? Sarah will support the best policy to ensure every American is covered. Americans need increased coverage now, and a public option is the fastest, most efficient way to rapidly increase the number of insured Americans. Sarah also supports dramatically expanding the safety net, increasing the number of families eligible for Medicaid, and lowering the qualifying age for Medicare.

6. Prescription drug prices. Lowering prescription drug prices must be a priority in the U.S. Senate. Medicare and Medicaid should be allowed to negotiate for competitive prices—just as public health systems from around the world have done for years. Access to generic drugs for American consumers must be protected, and price gouging for life-saving drugs like insulin must be made illegal.

7. Corporate accountability for the opioid crisis. Tackling health insurance is just part of the battle for quality, affordable health care. Sarah believes we have to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the devastation experienced by many families due to irresponsible and illegal off-label marketing of prescription drugs that fueled America’s opioid crisis. Settlements from these businesses should be used to pay for robust addiction treatment programs.

Economy and Workers Rights

The American economy is letting working families down – benefiting the very wealthiest at the expense of the working and middle class. That is why unions matter so much. Because it’s not you against the world; it’s all of us. When working people stand together, we have power—power to negotiate for higher wages, power to negotiate for better health care, and the power to change the system. More and more people right now are recognizing the power of collective action. The labor movement is having a moment.

Sarah has steadfastly stood by our brothers and sisters in labor. That is why she received the first labor endorsement in this race—and an additional four more since. She remains the only candidate in the race with the support of labor unions. In an industry that used to have more than 40 union suppliers in the 1980s, her family’s company remains one of only two union suppliers remaining in 2020. Sarah has always fought for the men, women, and families she employed to make sure they have quality health care, benefits, and retirement plans.

The current economic crisis, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, is worsening the burdens of America’s working families—from affordable health insurance to fair wages to growing unemployment. It’s never been more important that Georgians elect a Senator who will go to bat for working people. That’s what Sarah has done her entire career, and it’s exactly what she’ll do in the U.S. Senate.

When Sarah is elected, she will bring the fight for working families to the Senate. She supports raising the minimum wage so that workers can provide for their families. Sarah also supports the PRO Act to give power back to working people so they can share in the profits they work so hard to create. She will fight to increase career and technical training opportunities and deliver in-demand skills to students at no cost to them. And Sarah will fight for trade agreements that actually protect American workers and enforce labor standards abroad. Free trade only works for America if it’s fair, and that means putting American workers on a level playing field with other countries.

Investing in people matters. It’s possible. And it creates growth—the kind of sustained growth and prosperity that lifts families into their version of the American Dream, just like Sarah’s grandparents and parents did for their families. The same kinds of investments in working families will create growth and prosperity for America that lasts not just for the next election cycle, but for generations to come.

PRIORITIES FOR WORKING FAMILIES:

  • Equity. Sarah knows that to build an economy that works for all Americans, we must ensure all Americans have access to economic security. That means equal pay for equal work. That means equitable access to credit for entrepreneurs and small businesses—too often, women and communities of color come up short in this important on-ramp to economic security.
  • Safe workplaces. As a vocal advocate of collective bargaining, and the only union-endorsed candidate in this race, Sarah will work hard to secure safe working conditions. She will fight for Georgia’s workplaces to be free from discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
  • Protecting essential workers. Those who risk their lives for the common good must be protected. Sarah supports Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Essential Worker Bill of Rights which guarantees universal paid sick, family, and medical leave to employees on the frontlines of this pandemic.

Preventing Gun Violence

As a mother of two young children, Sarah is heartbroken by the tragedy that has befallen so many families across our country due to gun violence. But she doesn’t want to stop at thoughts and prayers; Sarah wants to take action so that no parent, spouse, sibling, or child has to lose a loved one again because of lax gun control laws.

That means we have to pass universal background checks and close loopholes that allow violent criminal offenders, domestic abusers and those who are mentally ill access to firearms. We institute checks for car sales or opening a bank account; a background check is the least we can do to make sure we prevent violent offenders from acquiring a gun. More than 90% of Americans support background checks, and it’s time for the Senate to pass this long overdue legislation.

Sarah believes there is no place for weapons of war in the hands of civilians.

Lastly, women who are abused are more affected by gun violence than others. They are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser owns a gun. We must pass federal red flag laws, and close the boyfriend loophole that allows domestic abusers and stalkers with prior convictions access to firearms. Further, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) must be reauthorized by the Senate, immediately. Mitch McConnell and David Perdue have failed to pass this life saving legislation so we can keep firearms out of the hands of abusers. Women have paid for this inaction with their lives. As a U.S. Senator, Sarah will vote to reauthorize VAWA, close the boyfriend loophole, implement universal background checks, and support red flag laws.

Environment & Climate Crisis

For too long, politicians have failed to listen to scientists and security experts when it comes to our changing climate. Rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms threaten our coastal residents and their local economies, critical infrastructure, and military bases. Sarah supports the principles underlying the Green New Deal and believes that climate change is an existential threat to Americans’ health, safety and prosperity. Once elected to the Senate, Sarah will be proactive in working with scientists and engineers to direct public resources to combating climate change and increasing public awareness of the dangers of climate change. Sarah will center facts, science, and data in the environmental policies she supports. She will work to reverse the Trump administration’s devastating rollbacks to laws that protect Americans’ access to clean water and clean air. This a threat that will require an all-of-the-above approach with the support of workers, the business community, scientists, and climate change activists.

Criminal Justice Reform

One of the few successful case studies of bipartisan legislation has been around criminal justice reform. Sarah applauds the efforts of Senate Democrats and Republicans in passing the First Step Act, which helps inmates successfully return to society after serving their sentence. It also reduces some sentences for certain low-level, nonviolent offenders while preserving important law enforcement tools to tackle criminal enterprises.

But that is just a first step and we need to go even further. We have to end cash bail, promote community policing programs, and expand access to mental health care. Sarah also supports decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana. By doing so, we can lower our prison populations, save taxpayer dollars, focus policing on more serious crimes, and begin closing the racial gap in drug arrests.

Successful criminal justice reform in America must address the following:

  • Eliminating widespread racial inequity in our criminal justice system
  • Ending mass incarceration in America
  • Increasing federal funding for programs designed to successfully reintegrate returning citizens into their communities
  • Removing profit incentives from our criminal justice system, specifically: banning private prisons, ending cash bail, and eliminating the use of prison labor

Immigration

Georgia’s children are growing up in an era where the Republican candidates for Governor tell them they have more to fear from their neighbors than from a candidate driving around the state in a “Deportation Bus.” It is time to end this hate-filled rhetoric from politicians who are doing nothing more than inflaming divisions in our nation—especially in a moment when we need leaders who will bring us together. Leviticus 19:34 says, “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Families belong together. One of Sarah’s first acts as Senator would be to reunite the families separated by this administration through their callous and destructive policies towards refugees asylum-seekers. We must shut down the detention centers where thousands of children, even newborns, have been separated from their parents and left to sleep on cold floors.

Sarah supports policies that comply with international law with respect to asylum-seekers and refugees. And she will prioritize America’s commitment to human rights and the dignity of every individual in our immigration policies.

We have a broken immigration system that has been made only worse by this administration. Sarah supports protecting DREAMers from deportation. She also believes that strong border security has to be accompanied by comprehensive immigration reform.

Sarah is the proud wife of a naturalized American citizen. She knows our immigrant communities have been a vibrant part of our nation — and our economy — for centuries. As a Senate, she will be a champion for fixing America’s broken immigration system.

Voting Rights

Voter suppression was rampant across Georgia in 2018. Republicans refuse to acknowledge the bizarre anomaly of the extraordinary undervote in the race for Lieutenant Governor. They have refused—point blank—to investigate the matter, despite what experts considered wildly suspicious results from the voting machines. This is par for the course as they have stubbornly denied the experiences of Georgians, as well as the data.

But this time around, Georgians are going to be even more aggressive about demanding our leaders take election protection and security seriously. Sarah supports legislation such as the Honest Ads Act and the Election Security Act, which will work towards making our elections safer and more transparent. These pieces of legislation are being held up by Senate Republicans, which only plays into the hands of those who want to undermine America’s democracy.

As a U.S. Senator, Sarah will prioritize fully restoring the Voting Rights Act and its protections for historically disenfranchised voters. It’s critical that we protect both the security of our elections and every eligible voter’s right to vote. She supports statehood for Washington DC so that the more than 700,000 residents there can have access to the same representation other US citizens do in both the US Senate and the House of Representatives.

Currently, Georgia Republicans are treating the coronavirus pandemic as another opportunity to further their agenda of voter suppression. For Sarah, the health and safety of Georgians is always paramount. Sarah supports a universal vote-by-mail plan to expand access to the polls and ensure every Georgian exercises their constitutional right. This includes fully funding access to ballot boxes, mailing ballot requests to all eligible voters, and providing pre-paid postage on ballots, so that Georgians who are unable to acquire stamps do not need to be concerned that their ballot won’t be counted.

After the 2018 election, Sarah continued traveling around the state talking about voting rights, access to democracy, and the voter suppression we witnessed last year. This issue goes to the heart of our democracy, and she will continue to be a vocal advocate for ending suppression and guaranteeing the right to vote for all eligible Georgians.

Women's Rights

It is 2020, and women are still being treated like second class citizens, particularly women of color. Women are the backbone of our economy, our families, and our country. We should be recognized as such and take steps to ensure efforts to deny us our rights, our opportunities, and our progress are blocked.

Sarah supports a woman’s right to choose without exception. She has been pro-choice all of her life and considers choice not just as a political issue, but a personal one. Republican efforts to outlaw choice through back-door state legislation and efforts to defund Planned Parenthood must be stopped in their tracks, and Sarah will fight any effort that makes it harder for women – and men – to access reproductive health care. She will always stand up for not just access to reproductive health care, but reproductive freedom, rights, and justice. She will also fight to immediately repeal the Hyde Amendment, which particularly punishes women of color.

As a young mother who also worked full time, Sarah knows the importance of paid family leave for millions of families. She supports Senator Gillibrand’s FAMILY Act, a plan that would guarantee 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents and caregivers.

Women are still not paid the same as their male counterparts, which is why we need to aggressively fight for equal pay justice. As a female business executive, Sarah has experienced pay discrimination first-hand, and she is firmly committed to ensuring that her daughters grow up in a world that values their labor, skills, education, and experience, and pays them accordingly. Legislation that protects women who seek equal pay, punishes employers who attempt to circumvent the law, and gives women the tools they need to be paid a fair and equal wage, is sorely needed, especially for women of color, and Sarah will be a vocal advocate for such legislation.

Sarah supports the full ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, a critical step in protecting many of the hard-fought gains women have made in recent generations.

National Security, International Affairs, and Veterans

This administration, along with Republican Senators, has endangered our country through its reckless foreign policy and funding decisions. Trump and his Senate enablers, including David Perdue, have turned their backs on our allies who have sacrificed their lives in our war against terrorism and are withholding security aid to others for personal gain. Sarah will keep and support a multilateral foreign policy that works with our allies to make America safer, rather than turn our backs to those who help us.

The relationship between the United States and the state of Israel has been a hallmark of Middle East diplomacy and global security for decades. Sarah knows that this partnership must remain strong in order to make the world a better, safer, and more prosperous place, as well as to ensure the safety and security of the state of Israel. Sarah believes that the United States should be fully committed to a two-state solution with a demilitarized Palestinian state that co-exists peacefully with the state of Israel based on the 1967 borders with mutually agreed upon land swaps. Peace in the region will be greatly aided by an agreement that guarantees the security of an independent and secure Palestine as well as an independent and secure Jewish state.

Tens of thousands of veterans today are homeless, and thousands of veterans commit suicide every year. With VA centers all across the country in dire straits, it’s past time that we make sure that veterans who have served our country receive all the support and treatment they need. What message are we sending to the next generation of soldiers if we can’t take care of those who have returned home after their tours of duty?

Georgia features one of the largest active military populations in the nation and is home to nearly 700,000 veterans. Sarah sides with the overwhelming majority of military veterans who believe the answer to improved care lies in strengthening the VA, not privatizing their healthcare. This would start with addressing the nearly 50,000 vacancies within the VA system — which the Inspector General has cited as “a root cause for many of the problems in veterans’ care” — and expanding medical services for our growing female veteran population.

After years of undervaluing diplomacy, we need a fully funded and staffed State Department that brings balance back to our foreign policy apparatus and places diplomacy and development on par with defense.

Furthermore, after nearly 19 years of war, Sarah knows it is time for Congress to heed the rising bipartisan call to replace the outdated Authorization for the Use of Military Force.

Education

Sarah is a proud graduate of public schools, the granddaughter of a public school teacher, and the proud parent to two children in public elementary school. She knows the value of public education, and she supports robust investments in our nation’s schools.

The circumstances of your birth should not determine your future, and every child in Georgia should have access to quality public education. From daycare to early childhood education through high school and college, we owe it to our next generation to prepare them for the future.

This conversation starts with paying teachers the salaries that reflect the essential professionals that they are. If we’re serious about giving our children the best opportunities in a global marketplace, then the teachers charged with their education should be the best, brightest, and most committed themselves. This means paying teachers a fair wage and incentivizing younger generations to become teachers.

It also means looking at education comprehensively, from the cradle through higher education. As Senator, Sarah will fight for greater access to safe, affordable, convenient childcare for young children. Sarah will also hold our department of education accountable to enforce desegregation and discrimination laws so that every child can learn without fear of prejudice.

Sarah will fight for all Georgia families to guarantee in both word and deed that every child has access to a good public education in a safe and supportive environment.

Sarah also supports fully funding Pell Grants and other financial aid for college tuition, as well as lowering interest rates on federal student loans. Students should be able to attend and graduate from a four-year college without a lifetime burden of debt.

We are grooming the next generation and preparing our economy for the future. If that future is to be bright, then our education system must improve.

Sarah also believes in expanding opportunities to two year colleges, community colleges, and training and apprenticeship programs.

Equality & Justice

Sarah holds core progressive values and deeply-held personal beliefs regarding dignity, equality, and justice for every person in every community. She acknowledges the role that privilege, discrimination, and institutional race, gender, class, and other biases play in our community and society, and she is committed to eradicating them.

Sarah is a staunch ally of the LGBTQ community and supports the EQUALITY Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender idenitity. She will always fight to ensure this community has access to the health care, education, housing, employment, and other opportunities they have a right to. Sarah also stands firmly with the trans community, including specifically trans women of color and Black trans women who are especially targeted for discrimination and violence.

2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and while we’ve made much progress, Sarah believes there is more to be done to ensure equal rights and opportunities for this community. She will fight to ensure they receive fair wages, have their civil liberties protected, have access to affordable health care and technology that supports independent living, and receive increased funding and support for their unique educational needs.

Sarah supports legislation to study the impact of slavery and ongoing discrimination against African Americans, with the intended goal of making recommendations on reparations for the descendants of enslaved peoples.

Sarah condemns the recent racism directed at the Asian American community in response to the COVID-19 virus. She also rejects anti-Muslim bigotry (including the Muslim travel ban) and the rising anti-Semitism we have seen around the country. Sarah will always stand up against acts of violence, hatred, and discrimination against marginalized communities.

Our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico have seen economic devastation as a result of repeated disasters – from Hurricane Maria to numerous earthquakes earlier this year. Sarah denounces the Trump administration’s efforts to delay and impede the island’s recovery and demands a full accounting for and commitment to ensuring timely and appropriate relief and support as the island grapples with the aftermath of these disasters along with the current coronavirus threat.[14]

—Sarah Riggs Amico’s campaign website (2020)[15]


Jon Ossoff

Ossoff’s campaign website stated the following:

The Economy

The COVID-19 outbreak is causing enormous economic hardship. Tens of millions are losing jobs. Businesses are shuttered. Banks and landlords are threatening foreclosure and eviction. Essential workers are underpaid, underprotected, and underinsured.

This crisis is laying bare structural inequity and corruption in U.S. economic policy. Similar to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, while hardship is concentrated among working- and middle-class families and smaller businesses, the fastest and biggest emergency relief has gone straight to the top.

The government’s financial safety net for Wall Street is vast and instantaneous, while help for ordinary people and smaller firms has been meager and slow.

Rather than relying on subsidies for Wall Street as economic stimulus and hoping the benefits trickle down, I’ll support policies that help Georgia’s families make and save more money: fast and generous direct emergency relief during economic crises, lower taxes for all but the wealthiest Americans, debt-free public college, free vocational training, and health care guaranteed at an affordable price.

To create millions of jobs, revitalize our economy, and alleviate poverty, I’ll support the most ambitious infrastructure program in history. Upgraded infrastructure will serve as the foundation for decades of prosperity, sustainability, and health.

Georgia is a growing economic powerhouse in agriculture, logistics, aerospace, technology, clean energy, and media. Georgia’s businesses and entrepreneurs are the crucial engine of job and wealth creation in our state.

I’ll work to make tax and regulatory compliance simpler and more efficient for our businesses. I’ll expose and attack unfair and unethical trade, labor, and environmental practices by overseas competitors that disadvantage American workers and businesses. I’ll work to reduce our dependence on Chinese supply chains and strengthen domestic producers. I’ll support strong antitrust enforcement and I’ll attack anti-competitive special interest subsidies secured by dominant firms with lobbying power at the expense of smaller competitors and startups. These policies will support long-term prosperity, competitiveness, and strength.

The health of the banking system is vital, but public funds and loans shouldn’t subsidize speculative short-term trading on Wall Street. That’s why I’ll vote to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, so Federal economic policy serves the long-term prosperity, stability, and financial security of families and productive enterprises, not short-term gains for investment banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms.

Lobbying and political contributions should not buy bailout money, unfair subsidies, or impunity for labor and environmental abuses. But as long as money buys political influence, our government’s policies will favor the most powerful special interests, distorting the market to benefit the best connected people and businesses. That’s one of many reasons campaign finance reform is essential to our prosperity and competitiveness.

I’ve dedicated my career to fighting corruption. I run a business that investigates bribery and the abuse of power worldwide. I’m not taking contributions from corporate PACs or Congressional lobbyists. As Georgia’s Senator, I will be accountable exclusively to the people of our state.

Health Care

This pandemic should be a massive wake-up call for those who doubt the necessity of ensuring all Americans have health insurance.

The link between health and wealth must be broken. It is essential that every single American has great health care. And Georgia already faced a shocking health crisis, with among the highest rates of uninsurance and maternal mortality in the country.

In the U.S. Senate, I’ll work to make great health insurance a simple, affordable, reassuring reality for all of us. Other countries have achieved this. So can we.

Health insurance is too expensive and complex, and protections for women, young people, and pre-existing conditions are under attack. Few plans are available, premiums are high, surprise billing is frequent, and dealing with insurance companies can be a nightmare.

Even today, in the midst of a massive health crisis, the GOP, led by David Perdue, is still working to rip health insurance from tens of millions of Americans. The GOP and David Perdue have also long planned to cut Medicare, putting health care for seniors at risk.

I’ll vote to protect and strengthen Medicare, and I support offering all Americans a public health insurance option as an affordable alternative to private insurance.

The public plan’s premiums will be affordable for all and there will be no deductibles for necessary care. Its coverage will be comprehensive — including preventative care, prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, mental health, and neonatal and postnatal care. Medicaid expansion and auto-enrollment of the uninsured will ensure all Americans are covered regardless of wealth.

Your insurance will be your choice. Americans will be free to maintain exclusively private health insurance or to purchase supplemental private insurance on top of the public plan if they so choose.

For those with private insurance, I’ll vote to strengthen the Affordable Care Act’s protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions, women, and young people. Those protections remain under attack by the health insurance industry and their allies in the GOP.

I’ll vote to crack down on price gouging by drug companies and make more generic medicine available.

I’ll work relentlessly to deliver federal funds to build more health clinics and hire more health care workers across Georgia, especially in rural and underserved communities, and to solve Georgia’s shocking and shameful maternal health crisis.

And I’ll introduce legislation to expand the U.S. Public Health Service so it can recruit, train, and deploy more medical teams to clinics across Georgia and the nation.

Infrastructure

I’ll push for an unprecedented American infrastructure program that includes big, overdue investments in transportation and transit, clean energy, energy efficiency, public health, communications, research and development, emergency response, and environmental cleanup.

These investments will create job training and employment opportunities for millions of American workers and demand for products made by American businesses. They will revitalize our economy and lay the foundations for decades of prosperity, environmental sustainability, and health.

Infrastructure is often taken for granted. It includes energy production and the grid, transit, roads, bridges, tunnels, rail, aviation, ports and waterways, communications, cybersecurity, water treatment and distribution, housing, and public health.

Upgraded infrastructure will make life safer and more convenient, support commerce, attract investment, protect our environment, and improve our health.

Strong, advanced infrastructure is also essential for resilient and effective emergency response – whether pandemic, natural disaster, national security, or the totally unexpected.

Money spent on infrastructure is truly an investment in America, with positive returns across the entire economy and dramatic improvements to our quality of life.

The Environment

The health of the environment is vital to our own health, prosperity, and security. In the Senate, I’ll make energy and environmental policy on the basis of scientific evidence — not lobbying by polluters.

We face an urgent environmental crisis as out-of-control pollution is fast changing the climate, destroying ecosystems, killing off species, and damaging human health.

The scientific consensus is unambiguous: if pollution from fossil fuel combustion is not controlled, the consequences will be dire.

We can meet our energy needs without destroying the environment — but only by rapidly transitioning to clean energy sources, dramatically reducing carbon emissions, and increasing energy efficiency.

That’s why I’ll support a historic infrastructure plan that includes massive investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and environmental protection.

I’ll push for America to immediately re-enter the Paris Climate Accords — and then to lead negotiation of an even more ambitious climate treaty.

I’ll work to reverse the Trump Administration’s rollbacks of clean air, clean water, and fuel economy standards — and then to strengthen them.

I’ll push for fast advances in sustainability — including a rapidly phased-in ban on single-use plastics, strongly enforced treaties to protect oceans and fisheries, aggressive protection of endangered species and habitats, increased fines for spills and contamination, and stricter controls on toxic chemicals.

Criminal Justice Reform

Our criminal justice system should render justice and protect the public while upholding due process, civil rights and civil liberties, and equal protection under the law.

Yet in the United States today, deep race and class disparities persist in policing, prosecution, and sentencing. Racial profiling, arbitrary detention, and abuse in detention and incarceration are widespread. We incarcerate tens of thousands guilty of non-violent, victimless crimes, destroying lives and incurring massive costs.

The deck is stacked against defendants who lack money, while those with wealth and connections often secure special treatment or outright impunity.

Our approach to punishment must respect the human dignity of incarcerated people and recognize that except for the most dangerous violent criminals, successful re-entry to society after incarceration is crucial for both the convicted and the public.

Nevertheless, brutal and inhumane conditions prevail in our prisons and jails.

Mandatory minimum sentencing, the drug war, and the misguided use of criminal enforcement as a response to addiction, mental illness, and poverty have contributed to mass incarceration that is a blight on our country.

In the Senate I’ll support major criminal justice reforms — including stronger civil rights laws and due process protections, an end to mandatory minimum sentencing, banning private prisons, prison reform that raises conditions to humane standards, death penalty abolition, and cannabis legalization.

I’ll also support more federal law enforcement resources to attack organized crime, human trafficking, racketeering, money laundering, fraud, espionage, and corruption.

Roe v. Wade

I am pro-choice. I believe that women, not the government, should control the private, personal, and complex decision whether to terminate a pregnancy.

I run a business that investigates organized crime and corruption for news organizations worldwide. Our teams have gone undercover to expose how dangerous, unqualified, and unregulated abortion providers kill thousands of women in places where safe abortion services are not available legally.

In the Senate, I will only vote to confirm federal judges who pledge to uphold Roe v. Wade.

COVID-19

To contain this outbreak and prevent an economic depression, the Trump Administration’s gross incompetence must end.

It didn’t have to be this way. The White House ignored the warnings and dismissed the threat. But accountability will have to wait for November.

The immediate solutions are clear, but they must be implemented with the speed, competence, and focus demanded by a great challenge such as this.

Congress and the Administration should focus on boosting the health response, shoring up Americans’ finances, and speeding up containment and adaptation so Americans can return to work and normal life as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we must intensify short-term efforts to crack down on the spread.

First, every effort must be made to boost hospitals and the health response. The key immediate vulnerabilities are inadequate ICU capacity, insufficient testing capacity, a shortage of medical equipment for respiratory critical care, and lack of protective gear for doctors and nurses. The lack of protective equipment is personal for me — my wife Alisha is a doctor here at an Atlanta hospital — but we’re all at risk when medical teams fall sick.

The federal government should spend whatever it takes and cut through all the red tape to fill these gaps. (This effort should have begun in January.)

Use the Army Corps of Engineers, military logistical and medical units, and the Defense Production Act as necessary to build hospital capacity and properly equip medical teams. Give governors whatever they need. Be transparent about how many additional beds, respiratory critical care units, and isolation wards will be built, where, and by when. Go fast!

Second, shore up Americans’ finances. Millions are losing jobs. Families are staring over a financial cliff. This isn’t the time for partisan bickering and gridlock. Congress must immediately send generous emergency cash to tide over people and businesses.

The fastest and most generous help should go to those who need it the most. And no secret slush funds or special favors for powerful corporations. We need complete transparency and rigorous accountability. The president’s dismissal of the Inspector General for the $2 trillion relief program just days after it was enacted is outrageous. A repeat of the bank bailout debacle would destroy what little public trust in government remains.

Third, speed up containment and adaptation so we can find a “new normal” quickly and get back to work. Study countries that are seeing success. Equip medical experts to track the virus, defending privacy and civil liberties along the way. We have to know where the virus is and isn’t. That means widespread testing and free COVID-19 treatment (so no one is afraid to get tested).

Isolate the virus. Establish clear policies for the self-quarantine of infected Americans until they are healthy. Tighten and enforce regulations to protect seniors from exposure.

Reinforce strong hygiene. Implement widespread temperature checks. Mandate the routine disinfection of public spaces and surfaces.

Finally, intensify short-term efforts to crack down on the spread. Our highest hopes are that these efforts are swiftly effective and the virus is less lethal than suspected. But severe illness is still spreading exponentially, and many hospitals are warning they’ll soon be overwhelmed. Governors and mayors should listen to them and slow down the virus by implementing strong distancing policies now, not later, including shelter-in-place orders where necessary.

This buys time to build health care capacity and to develop therapies and vaccines.

Social distancing at such scale cannot continue indefinitely. That is precisely why we must boost the health response and speed up containment and adaptation — so we can return to our lives without overloading hospitals and causing unnecessary deaths.

We can do these things and defeat the virus together. This won’t last forever. But at minimum, the next few months are going to be hard.

It is vital that the federal response become more effective and coherent. In 2014, my company investigated the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, where government mistakes cost lives. We can’t afford any more mistakes here.

I truly don’t know if our elected officials in Washington realize how selfish and incompetent they look. The President has been negligent and erratic. Senators were briefed and adjusted their stock portfolios instead of preparing the public. They all have to get real now, and I pray for all our sakes they are successful.

We’re still America. We have huge resources and brilliant people.

Consider what we’ve achieved together when we‘ve brought to bear all that we must: the miraculous industrial mobilization of World War II, the New Deal, the Apollo program.

We’re still Americans. This is what we do. Let’s get to work!

Education

We all want and we all deserve the basics in life: a steady job that pays a living wage and helps us save for retirement, good health care, a nice home, and a great education for ourselves and for our kids.

But in America today, equality of opportunity isn’t a reality — and in so many ways that inequality starts in our educational system.

To improve the quality of primary and secondary education, I support increasing teacher pay and breaking the link between a community’s wealth and the funding available for its public schools.

When discussing higher education, the national political debate tends to focus on four-year college degrees. We need greater emphasis on vocational training. For someone currently making $10 an hour without benefits, a commercial driver’s license or a welding certificate can be life-changing.

That’s why in the Senate I’ll work to make trade school and vocational training free for every American.

And I’ll work to make four-year degrees at our public colleges 100% debt-free.

So many Americans today are held back by student debt — can’t start a business, start a family, or buy a home — because they can’t keep up with student loan payments.

But the cost of education shouldn’t hold us back. Education should expand our opportunities.

I support a generous forgiveness program for those struggling to pay off their student loans, caps on interest rates to relieve financial stress for all borrowers, and a program that links Federal student loan payments to income so paying off student loans is never a financial hardship.

Gun Safety Reforms

A clear majority of Georgians support reforms to reduce injuries and deaths from gun violence while protecting the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

I support the Second Amendment and I respect the overwhelming majority of gun owners who recognize that guns aren’t toys; they are lethal and dangerous tools.

Firearms possession comes with great responsibilities for safe ownership, storage, and use.

The shocking level of gun violence in America today makes plain the need for gun safety reforms, which will not preclude any responsible and qualified American from owning firearms for home defense, hunting, marksmanship, collection, or recreation.

I support universal criminal history checks for gun purchases, red flag laws to protect family members and domestic partners concerned about the mental health of their loved ones, and closing the gun show loophole.

I support a ban on the sale of semi-automatic rifles (“assault weapons”) and high-capacity magazines to the general public.

Americans who would purchase high-powered weapons derived from modern military technology should be required to demonstrate high qualification and compelling specific needs.

Most gun owners are responsible, qualified, and own weapons in good faith. However, the only objective of the firearms industry lobbyists is to drive up gun sales and enrich shareholders — even at the expense of public safety and common sense.

I’m not taking a dime from the gun lobby, and I’ll fight to end their corrupt influence in Washington.

Immigration

My mother is an immigrant. She came to this country when she was 23 because she believed in the American Dream, and she’s lived it. She became a successful entrepreneur, a U.S. citizen, and an active participant in our democracy.

Our country, like any country, must know and control who crosses our borders, and strong border security doesn’t require us to sacrifice our moral principles, our commitment to human rights, or our American identity as a haven for people fleeing persecution and striving for opportunity.

Ripping children from their parents and disappearing them into federal custody is an atrocity.

I’ll support an immigration policy that strengthens our borders, puts American workers first, respects human rights, and creates a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants who are already here and otherwise follow the law, especially those brought here as children.

We must reform the horrifically dysfunctional Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement so that these agencies carry out their duties with competence and humanity.

And instead of making life hell for migrants, immigration enforcement should crack down on the employers of undocumented immigrants, like The Trump Organization.

LGBTQ Equality

In the Senate, I’ll fight for equal rights and equal protection under the law for all Americans, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

I will defend marriage equality and the right of gay couples to adopt children.

I will support the Equality Act and vote to expand Federal anti-discrimination statutes to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation.

I will oppose efforts to re-impose the ban on military service by openly gay Americans. Any American’s desire to serve and defend their country should be honored without discrimination.

I’ll support strengthening anti-bullying programs for LGBTQ youth, and I will defend and support the safety and human rights of transgender Americans.

The LGBTQ community will be able to count on me to stand with them as a strong and outspoken ally.[14]

—Jon Ossoff's campaign website (2020)[16]


Teresa Tomlinson

Tomlinson’s campaign website stated the following:

Teresa sees a 21st century world where our future is better than today and she knows how to get us there. She understands government is a tool to resolve our challenges and create a road map to our improved prosperity. As Mayor of Georgia’s second largest city, Teresa shook up the old way of doing things and made government work for the people. She will bring that strong progressive leadership to the U.S. Senate.

Washington is filled with dysfunction. These days, the US Senate looks more like the World Wrestling Federation than the world’s most deliberative legislative body. If we keep electing the same people that will not change. Teresa knows how to resolve dysfunction. She rethinks systemic failure and makes it work again. That’s what she did as a lawyer and as a mayor: She makes government work.

POLICY PAPERS

1. A New Civic Infrastructure–Justice For All

While we overcame many 20th century challenges including the Great Depression, two World Wars, Watergate, and the Gulf War; today we face new systemic challenges both nationally and globally. Teresa knows that if we are to seize our future and the prosperity our nation is capable of, we will need a New Civic Infrastructure. We must work to guarantee voter rights in all 50 states, correct a justice system that results in mass incarceration, stop the crisis and inhumanity at our border, reform our immigration system, ensure that we live free from the onslaught of gun violence, support basic bodily autonomy for women, and recognize the equality of all citizens (including LGBTQ+ citizens) to pursue and enjoy our unalienable rights.

2. A New Financial Infrastructure for a Strong Economy

Similarly, Teresa knows our economic infrastructure is also a relic of the 20th century. We need to build a New Economic Infrastructure: provide universal healthcare by expanding Medicare and Medicaid while allowing people to keep their private health insurance; establish a fair wage and a mechanism to have that wage keep pace with inflation; rethink our tax system to grow the middle class and strengthen pathways for those climbing out of poverty; end the racial and gender wealth gaps and find a way that all of our people have access to capital, power, and prosperity; help students afford college and recent graduates restructure their staggering student loan debt; develop a comprehensive child care and paid family leave system so women can be full participants in our economy; address the trillion dollar impact of the climate crisis and begin to mitigate and resolve the indisputable emergency so long ignored by our nation’s leaders; and recognize that we now live in a digital age economy, not an industrial age economy.

3. A Future-Forward Roadmap

The world is changing. Climate change is altering our environment on an epic scale. Artificial intelligence will soon change the nature of our workforce. The digital economy impacts every aspect of our lives, from how we relate to each other, to how we buy goods and services, to how our elections are conducted, and to how we receive and track medical care and how we perform our jobs. All of these factors affect our national security and the type of military we need to defend against entirely new threats. Change can be unsettling and politicians often prey on fears and anxieties in a cynical bid to get elected. Not Teresa. Teresa believes that approaching these challenges as unprecedented new opportunities is the American way. In the Senate, Teresa will work to help America harness these opportunities; that requires leadership, vision and a willingness to throw away outdated playbooks and write new ones.[14]

—Teresa Tomlinson's campaign website (2020)[17]


Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Sarah Riggs Amico

"It's Time to Finish What We Started" - Amico campaign ad, released June 3, 2020
"Justice and Opportunity" - Amico campaign ad, released June 2, 2020
"Faith" - Amico campaign ad, released May 19, 2020
"Sarah Riggs Amico for US Senate" - Amico campaign ad, released August 27, 2019


A sample ad from the candidate's Facebook page is embedded below. Click here to see the candidate's Facebook Video page.


Jon Ossoff

"Conversation with Rep. John Lewis" - Ossoff campaign ad, released May 26, 2020
"Calling on You" - Ossoff campaign ad, released May 26, 2020
"Heroes" - Ossoff campaign ad, released April 20, 2020
"Investigate David Perdue" - Ossoff campaign ad, released April 7, 2020
"Save Lives During the COVID-19 Outbreak" - Ossoff campaign ad, released March 17, 2020
"We Know How to Fight" - Ossoff campaign ad, released September 10, 2019


A sample ad from the candidate's Facebook page is embedded below. Click here to see the candidate's Facebook Video page.


Teresa Tomlinson

"Real Talk with Teresa: Justice and Bullies" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released June 3, 2020
"Amb. Young Radio Ad" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released May 5, 2020
"Leadership for Extraordinary Times" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released May 5, 2020
"The Democratic (?) U.S. Senate Debate" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released May 4, 2020
"Invisible" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released April 27, 2020
"Real Talk with Teresa: Healthcare" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released March 27, 2020
"Real Talk with Teresa: Perdue – Trump's Co-Pilot" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released March 25, 2020
"Keeping Us Safe from Gun Violence" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released February 13, 2020
"Real Talk with Teresa: Donald Trump's 95% Senator" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released February 3, 2020
"Real Talk with Teresa: Reproductive Rights" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released January 22, 2020
"Real Talk with Teresa: Money in Politics" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released January 21, 2020
"Real Talk with Teresa: Voting Rights" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released January 19, 2020
"Real Talk with Teresa: Impeachment" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released January 17, 2020
"Georgia Gumption" - Tomlinson campaign ad, released January 8, 2020
"The Mop-up (Wo)man." - Tomlinson campaign ad, released November 6, 2019


A sample ad from the candidate's Facebook page is embedded below. Click here to see the candidate's Facebook Video page.


Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[18] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[19] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Sarah Riggs Amico Democratic Party $2,150,529 $2,149,783 $746 As of December 31, 2020
Marckeith DeJesus Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Maya Dillard Smith Democratic Party $26,180 $24,430 $1,750 As of March 31, 2020
James Knox Democratic Party $300 $21,826 $3,534 As of June 30, 2020
Tricia Carpenter McCracken Democratic Party $10,470 $10,470 $2,162 As of July 15, 2020
Jon Ossoff Democratic Party $156,146,538 $151,814,804 $4,331,733 As of December 31, 2020
Teresa Tomlinson Democratic Party $2,918,566 $2,908,952 $9,614 As of December 31, 2020

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[20][21][22]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

Debates and forums

Know of a debate or forum we're missing? Email us.

May 29

The Newton County Democratic Committee hosted an online forum. Marckeith DeJesus, James Knox, Maya Dillard Smith, and Teresa Tomlinson participated.

Click here to view the video.

May 25

The Courier Eco Latino Newspaper hosted an online forum. Jon Ossoff and Teresa Tomlinson participated.

Click here to view the video.

May 14

Sarah Riggs Amico, Marckeith DeJesus, James Knox, and Teresa Tomlinson participated in the online Cherokee Democrats Federal Candidates Forum.

Click here to view the video.

May 12

The Greater Atlanta Democratic Women hosted an online forum. Sarah Riggs Amico, Marckeith DeJesus, Jon Ossoff, Maya Dillard Smith, and Teresa Tomlinson participated.

Click here to view the video.

May 3

Sarah Riggs Amico, Marckeith DeJesus, James Knox, Jon Ossoff, Maya Dillard Smith, and Teresa Tomlinson participated in an online forum hosted by The Atlanta Press Club.

Click here to view the video.

April 28, 2020

The DeKalb County Democratic Committee and Georgia House District 89 hosted an online forum. Sarah Riggs Amico, Marckeith DeJesus, Jon Ossoff, Maya Dillard Smith, and Teresa Tomlinson participated.

Click here to view the video.

April 20, 2020

The Jewish Democratic Council of America and the Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon of Atlanta hosted an online forum. Amico, Ossoff, and Tomlinson participated.

Click here to view the video.

April 14, 2020

Sarah Riggs Amico, Marckeith DeJesus, Maya Dillard Smith, Jon Ossoff, and Teresa Tomlinson participated in a Fayette County Democrats online forum.

Click here to view the video.

April 9, 2020

Amico, Ossoff, and Tomlinson participated in a Fulton County Democrats online forum.

Click here to view the video.

Polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Primaries in Georgia

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Georgia utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[23][24]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

What's at stake in the general election?

U.S. Senate elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincide with the 2020 presidential election. Thirty-three of the Senate's 100 seats were up for regular election in November. There were also two special elections in 2020. The results determined control of the U.S. Senate in the 117th Congress.

At the time of the election, the Republican Party had a 53-seat Senate majority, while Democrats had 45 seats. There were also two independents who caucus with the Democratic Party. Republicans faced greater partisan risk than Democrats in 2020 because they were defending 23 seats compared to 12 for the Democrats. Both parties had two incumbents representing states the opposite party's presidential nominee won in 2016.

In 2018, Democrats and Democratic-caucusing independents defended 26 of the 35 seats up for election, while Republicans defended the other nine. Republicans won 11 seats to the Democrats' 24, for a GOP net gain of two.

In the 24 previous Senate elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained Senate seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party gained seats, the average gain was three seats. In years where the president's party lost seats, the average loss was five seats. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[25]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[26][27][28]

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Georgia, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesToss-upTilt RepublicanTilt RepublicanTilt Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallToss-upLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 159 Georgia counties—3.14 percent—are pivot counties. These are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 pivot counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Baker County, Georgia 8.68% 0.57% 1.07%
Dooly County, Georgia 2.05% 6.98% 3.53%
Peach County, Georgia 2.91% 7.48% 6.75%
Quitman County, Georgia 10.92% 9.04% 7.90%
Twiggs County, Georgia 1.58% 8.64% 6.97%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Georgia with 50.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 45.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Georgia voted Democratic 63.33 percent of the time and Republican 36.67 percent of the time. Georgia voted Republican in every presidential election from 2000 to 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Georgia. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[29][30]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 64 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 45.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 74 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 42.3 points. Clinton won 14 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 116 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.6 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 106 out of 180 state House districts in Georgia with an average margin of victory of 36.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


Election history

2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated Georgia's U.S. Senate race as safely Republican. Incumbent Johnny Isakson (R) defeated Jim Barksdale (D), Allen Buckley (L), and Michelle Gates (Write-in) in the general election on November 8, 2016.

U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohnny Isakson Incumbent 54.8% 2,135,806
     Democratic Jim Barksdale 41% 1,599,726
     Libertarian Allen Buckley 4.2% 162,260
Total Votes 3,897,792
Source: Georgia Secretary of State

2014

Perdue won the 2014 U.S. Senate in Georgia.[31] The election filled the Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R).

U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Perdue 52.89% 1,358,088
     Democratic Michelle Nunn 45.21% 1,160,811
     Libertarian Amanda Swafford 1.90% 48,862
Total Votes 2,567,761
Source: Georgia Secretary of State

2010

On November 2, 2010, Johnny Isakson won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Michael "Mike" Thurmond (D), Chuck Donovan (L), Steve Davis (I), Raymond Beckworth (I) and Brian Russell Brown (I) in the general election.[32]

U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohnny Isakson Incumbent 58.3% 1,489,904
     Democratic Michael "Mike" Thurmond 39% 996,515
     Libertarian Chuck Donovan 2.7% 68,750
     Independent Steve Davis 0% 52
     Independent Raymond Beckworth 0% 24
     Independent Brian Russell Brown 0% 12
Total Votes 2,555,257

2008

On November 4, 2008, Saxby Chambliss won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Jim Martin (D), Allen Buckley (L), Elanor Garcia (I) and William Salomone, Jr (I) in the general election.[33]

U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2008
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSaxby Chambliss incumbent 49.8% 1,867,097
     Democratic Jim Martin 46.8% 1,757,393
     Libertarian Allen Buckley 3.4% 127,923
     Independent Elanor Garcia 0% 43
     Independent William Salomone, Jr 0% 29
Total Votes 3,752,485

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 WALB, "Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff outlines campaign for US Senate," updated February 6, 2020
  2. 2.0 2.1 WTOC, "Sarah Riggs Amico outlines her bid for US Senate," updated February 6, 2020
  3. Teresa Tomlinson's 2020 campaign website, "Tomlinson's Georgia Fundraising Lead Over Ossoff Continues to Grow," May 26, 2020
  4. WTOC, "Georgia Democrat Teresa Tomlinson outlines bid for US Senate," February 6, 2020
  5. Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Georgia Senate: Ossoff lands endorsements from 20 black officials," October 15, 2019
  7. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Georgia Senate: Ossoff picks up former rival Terry’s endorsement," May 6, 2020
  8. SoundCloud, "CWA Georgia Senate Endorsement of Sarah Riggs Amico - Tuesday, 3/17/2020," March 17, 2020
  9. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Georgia Senate: Amico nabs labor endorsement," October 2, 2019
  10. Facebook, "Sarah Riggs Amico on November 17, 2019," accessed March 25, 2020
  11. 11.0 11.1 Savannah Business Journal, "March 31 –Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Sarah Riggs Amico Announces Fifth Labor Endorsement," March 31, 2020
  12. Facebook, "Sarah Riggs Amico on April 14," accessed April 23, 2020
  13. Twitter, "End Citizens United on March 19, 2020," accessed March 25, 2020
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  15. Sarah Riggs Amico’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed May 27, 2020
  16. Jon Ossoff’s campaign website, “Policy,” accessed May 27, 2020
  17. Teresa Tomlinson’s campaign website, “On the Issues,” accessed May 27, 2020
  18. Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
  19. Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  20. OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  21. OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  22. National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  23. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
  24. Justia, "2023 Georgia Code § 21-2-224 - Registration deadlines; restrictions on voting in primaries; official list of electors; voting procedure when portion of county changed from one county to another," accessed August 12, 2024
  25. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  26. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  27. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  28. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  29. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  30. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  31. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named rollcall
  32. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
  33. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013


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