Georgia 6th District Election Results: Karen Handel Defeats Jon Ossoff

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — While Democrats nationwide hoped newcomer Jon Ossoff could be the beginning of a comeback against the GOP agenda in Washington, voters in the special election to fill Georgia's 6th Congressional District seat have selected Republican Karen Handel. She won the tight race, according to the Associated Press, by a roughly 5 percent margin.

Unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State's website gave Handel a solid lead with 52.69 percent of the vote to 47.31 percent for Ossoff. That count was with all 208 precincts reporting.

Handel thanked the hundreds of people and "scores of elected officials and GOP leaders who put their confidence in me right from the very beginning," including Cobb County Commissioner Bob Ott, former Johns Creek City Councilman Bob Gray -- who did not gain enough votes to advance from the April 18 special election to the runoff -- and Roswell Mayor Jere Wood.

"You know on April 18, I said that this was going to be a very tight race," she added. "It was going to be contentious and it was going to require all hands on deck and that was exactly what we had."

Handel also thanked Gov. Nathan Deal, Sen. David Perdue and former Sen. Saxby Chambliss for their support of her campaign. The Congresswoman-elect also thanked U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and the Republicans in the House who came together to help the GOP maintain control over the 6th District.

"I really am honored to be able to stand before you tonight and so extraordinarily humbled, but as everyone knows, most big things are not accomplished by one person alone," Handel continued. "And I've had a tremendous amount of support in this campaign, from each and everyone of you to a great campaign team to individuals on the ground, making phone calls on some of the hottest days of the year."

Handel told the audience she had the chance to speak with Democratic contender Jon Ossoff, who thanked her for running a "spirited campaign." She wished Ossoff and his fiance, Alicia Kramer, "all the best in the new life that they are going to be starting."

"Now tonight, I stand before you extraordinarily humbled and honored at the tremendous privilege and high responsibility that you and the people across the 6th District have given to me to represent you in the United States Congress," she said, which was met with thunderous applause. "To the Jon Ossoff supporters: Know that my commitment, they extend to every one of you as well. We may have some different beliefs, but we are part of one community. The community of the 6th District."

From his campaign rally in Sandy Springs, Ossoff thanked his supporters and volunteers for fighting for "values that can still unite people. At a time when politics has been dominated by fear and hatred and scapegoating and division, this community stood up. Women in this community stood up and you picked this campaign up and you picked Alicia up (his fiancee) and you carried us on your shoulders."

He added, "This is not the outcome that any of us was hoping for, but this is the beginning of something much bigger than us. So thank you, thank you for the most extraordinary experience I've ever been a part of. Thank you for knocking of hundreds of thousands of doors. Thank you for making hundreds of thousands of phone calls."

WAGA-TV political analyst Matt Towery said on air that Ossoff did poorly in Cobb County, got nipped in Fulton County and led big in DeKalb, but not big enough to surpass Handel, who unlike how it played out in April, benefitted from the full might of the Republican Party.

Just before the race was called, CNN reported that Handel was overperforming in Cobb County, 61 percent to Ossoff's 39 percent. In the most Democratic area of the district, DeKalb, Ossoff won 59 percent to 41 percent. Things were much closer in north Fulton, with Handel with a 53 percent to 47 percent edge, the TV station reported.

At Ossoff's campaign headquarters, his mentor District 5 Rep. John Lewis gave the crowd a pep talk as the numbers rolled in, telling them: "What you're doing is you're inspiring hundreds, thousands of people. Not just in the state of Georgia, but all around the world."

All but two polling locations closed at 7 p.m., as a judge in DeKalb County ordered two polling locations to remain open until 7:30 p.m. due to a mixup that resulted in delays in casting ballots.

President Donald Trump also congratulated Handel on her victory on Twitter.

The campaign was a roller coaster ride for voters across the area who've had to wade through months of countless ads, phone calls and emails from candidates and their surrogates pleading for their support.

The district includes East Cobb to the west, parts of DeKalb County to the east and the Fulton County cities of Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton and Johns Creek, all north of Atlanta. The race was the most expensive in Congressional history with an estimated cost of $50 million and has been closely watched by many as an early indicator of the 2018 U.S. House elections and President Trump's popularity among voters. (Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Things went smoothly in north Fulton County during the day, with no reports of glitches or problems reported at polling locations, said Department of Registration and Elections spokesperson April Majors.

Fulton Elections Director Richard Barron planned to have the results in that part of the district in by 11 p.m. He told poll workers that they "better have a good excuse" if they will not have their results ready for reporting by that time.

The county had to change 12 polling locations across the area ahead of the special election runoff.

• Verify your polling place by clicking here.

Barron, who described Tuesday as "quiet and somewhat boring," said things went smoothly throughout the county. He also said he didn't think the wet weather had an impact on voter turnout. For example, Fulton County already had 26,000 voters show up at the polls by 3 p.m.

Overall, North Fulton County will have about 110,000 people who will cast ballots on June 20 and during the early voting period before the runoff, Barron predicted Tuesday evening. For comparison's sake, the April 18 special election only garnered about 87,000 voters on that Election Day and the early voting period preceding it.

"This is a rare occurrence," Barron added, referring to Fulton's trend of its turnout for the runoff exceeding that of the special election. Barron also went on to tout the benefits of early voting, which he said had a "major impact" on how the June 20 election proceeded in the county. No one had to wait in line to vote, which he said aided in the process.

He also dispelled a rumor that a polling place in Sandy Springs turned people away because they did not vote in the April 18 special election. His office as well as the Georgia Secretary of State's Office investigated the allegation and found them to be untrue.

Fulton County also had additional officers on patrol in light of the heightened tensions and threatening packages sent to the home of Handel and her neighbors, Barron stated.

To the east in DeKalb County, a slight hiccup propelled Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams to approve a petition by the Board of Registration and Elections to extend voting hours to 7:30 p.m. at two polling locations: Holy Cross Catholic Church at 3773 Chamblee Tucker Road and Livsey Elementary School at 4137 Livsey Road.

The county asked the court to extend voting times due to a delay in voting on direct recording electronic voting units. The issue was resolved by 7:30 a.m. in both locations.

"Although voters were offered provisional ballots, this extension was requested, in the abundance of caution, to ensure that all electors at the two locations have the full 12 hours of voting," DeKalb added.

Throughout the day, Patch editors found few voters at polling sites in Sandy Springs and DeKalb County. A handful of Ossoff supporters were showing support outside Cross Keys High School, while there was an even smaller crowd of voters trickling into Riverwood International Charter School.

One resident in Sandy Springs, who voted at the Hammond Park Gym while on break, told Patch it was his "civic duty" to cast a ballot in Tuesday's election.

"It's kind of a historic election," he said, adding he followed the race closely.

Another resident, who stressed the importance of the race, added he showed up to his polling location because of "Mr. Trump."

"I wanted to do anything to help restrain Mr. Trump," he added, referring to the president.

"In my opinion this election is a do over for the last one," said Barbara Paresi, who held a sign saying "Vote Today" outside of Cross Keys. "It's about democracy, a lot people feel that it [the 2016 election] was stolen."

Rhonda Fox, an Ossoff precinct captain said: "We need to change our government leadership and the direction and we're headed in. This is about electing sensible lawmakers vs. nonsense."

Campaign Background

Both candidates are seeking the seat vacated by Tom Price after he was nominated by Trump to serve as the country's health secretary. The race, which dwindled from 18 to two candidates following a free-for-all special election primary held on April 18, has been injected with tens of millions of dollars, as politicos and activists alike battle for the support of the district's voters.

Backed by a grassroots campaign that dared voters, many of them millennials, to "Make Trump Furious," first-time candidate Ossoff was able to best 17 other candidates in an April primary in what many described as a litmus test of Trump's popularity. The 30-year-old investigative filmmaker was able to capitalize on anti-Trump sentiment in a district that has voted Republican for decades.

Handel, who is a former secretary of State, has been supported by President Trump and earned the endorsement of Gov. Nathan Deal. She also is past senior vice president of the Susan Komen Fund and held the position when the organization yanked funding for Planned Parenthood.

Much continues to be made about where Ossoff lives — more specifically, the fact that he doesn't live in the 6th District. Even Trump has harped on the issue, tweeting Monday that "Karen Handel's opponent in #GA06 can't even vote in the district he wants to represent ... because he doesn't even life there! He wants to raise taxes and kill healthcare. On Tuesday, #VoteKarenHandel."

Read more: The truth about where Ossoff lives

The president also used his go-to method of communication early Tuesday morning, stating Handel "will fight for lower taxes, great healthcare strong security-a hard worker who will never give up!"

Ossoff, who lives in a part of Atlanta that is in central DeKalb County near the Northlake area, has played down the fact that he doesn't live in the 6th District. In April, he told CNN that he grew up there and still has family there. He said that he lives close to Emory University, where his girlfriend — now his fiancee — is going to medical school.

"And as soon as she concludes her medical training, I'll be 10 minutes up the street into the district where I grew up. But I wanted to support her career and do right by her," he said.

Latest Polling Numbers

The latest average of polls by RealClearPolitics gives Handel a slight edge in the race, 49 percent to 48.8 for Ossoff. A June 18 poll by WSB/Landmark had the opponents tied at 49 percent, while a June 17-18 poll by Trafalgar Group had Handel at 51 percent support and Ossoff at 49 percent.

A Fox 5 Atlanta opinion survey gave Ossoff a slight lead at 50 percent, with Handel receiving the support of 49 percent of the respondents.

SEE ALSO:

• White Powder Sent To Congressional Candidate Karen Handel Believed To Be Non-Hazardous
• Jon Ossoff: I Have Received 'A Number Of Threats'
• Karen Handel's Campaign Calls Husband's 'Plantation' Social Media Share 'A Mistake'
• 'I Do Not Support A Livable Wage,' Handel Says In Georgia's 6th District Debate
• Trump Tweets About Georgia's 6th District Race: 'Vote Now For Karen H'
• Handel Says Virginia Gunman Made 'Vile Comments' About Her
• Update: Pence Visits Georgia, Raises $250K For Handel
• Jon Ossoff Vs. Karen Handel: What National Media Are Saying

According to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a total of 140,308 early ballots – 114,537 advance in-person ballots and 25,771 mailed-in absentee ballots — have been cast in the runoff so far. By comparison, there were 56,830 early ballots cast in the April 18 special election, the office said. Advance in-person voting ended Friday, June 16. Voters who did not vote in the April 18 election were able to cast ballots during the special election runoff.

“Tomorrow will be a pivotal day for voters as they elect new representation to serve in Washington, D.C., and all eyes are on Georgia to see the results of this hotly contested race,” Secretary of State Brian Kemp said Monday. “If you have not voted yet, I strongly encourage you to head to the polls on Tuesday to ensure that your voice is heard. The right to vote for our public officials should never be taken for granted.”

Standard mailed-in absentee ballots will continue to trickle into county offices, but they must be received before the close of the polls on June 20 to be counted. Ballots cast by voters under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act must be received within the three-day window following the runoff to be counted.

Voters across the district can access the Secretary of State's My Voter Page website to verify if they live in the district and, if they are residents of the district, can view their polling place to cast their ballots — if they haven't already done so.

SEE ALSO:

• DeKalb County 6th District Election Guide 2017: Voting Hours, Polling Places, More
• Cobb County 6th District Election Guide 2017: Voting Hours, Polling Places, More
• 6th District Election Guide: Polling Places, Voting Times In Fulton

The April 18 special election also drew national attention for another, less than desirable reason: the infamous mishap that caused an hour-long delay in tallying the votes after polls had closed. A memory card inserted into a machine did not properly tally votes recorded onto the device, which forced officials to halt the count and hunt for the faulty card, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.

Fulton Elections Director Richard Barron told Patch three different databases were in play during the April election. Now that they are working with just one election and one database, there's "not a possibility" that the same error could happen again, he said.

Both Handel and Ossoff are virtually deadlocked in the race to fill the seat, which has been in Republican control for decades. The Washington Free Beacon notes Federal Election Commission filings show more than $40 million has been spent in the race that's shined a spotlight onto this bustling area of the Peach State.

To help rally the base, both candidates have also rolled out the red carpet for political bigwigs who've traversed the district to drum up support for the candidates. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan have all hit the campaign trail for Handel. Former Gov. Roy Barnes and U.S. Rep. John Lewis have also expressed support for Ossoff.

The contentious nature of the race has also brought out alleged threatening behavior on both sides of the aisle. Just last week, Handel and her neighbors received suspicious packages containing white powder at their homes in Roswell. Preliminary tests conducted on those substances concluded the powder to be non-hazardous. For his part, Ossoff also said he's been the target of "a number of threats" throughout the course of the campaign.

Voters have also been bombarded with a slew of campaign ads littering broadcast and cable channels. One of which, an anti-Ossoff commercial featuring San Francisco residents "thanking" Georgia residents for supporting the Democratic candidate, has been dubbed one of the most controversial. Another ad criticizes Ossoff for not living in the 6th Congressional district and calling his experience into question.

The Republican and Democrat also faced off in televised debates where they traded barbs on national issues in front of local media, viewers and attendees. The most memorable line in one of the debates occurred when Handel said she didn't support a livable wage, adding she wants to make sure "we have an economy that is robust with low taxes and less regulation."

Voters who are eager to watch the votes come in as they are counted can check out the Georgia Secretary of State's website, which will have a landing page on its website linking directly to Tuesday's tally.

— Patch editors Craig Johnson and Deb Belt contributed reporting.

Photo: Karen Handel, left, and Jon Ossoff. Credit: Handel and Ossoff's campaigns