Karen Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state, clinched the fiercely contested congressional seat in Georgia’s Sixth District Tuesday night, besting Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff by a slim margin. It was the most expensive Congressional race in United States history.
Ossoff, who has worked as both a congressional aide and a documentary filmmaker, proved a tough adversary to Handel in the weeks leading up to the election; early polls had him winning by a one-point margin. Outlets like the New York Times declared that his win would be “a referendum” for Donald Trump’s presidency, and an indicator of Trump’s waning popularity in Republican-held suburbs.
For his part, Trump has been vocal about his distaste for Ossoff (who’s not widely seen as a staunch left-winger), calling him “weak on crime and security, doesn’t even live in district,” adding that Ossoff “wants to raise your taxes to the highest level.”
Tom Price vacated the post this year after the president nominated him to serve as the secretary of health and human services.
