House Dems spend $2M more on Ossoff in Ga. House election

by Lisa Hagen - 05/23/17 12:22 PM ET

The House Democrats’ campaign arm is pouring another $2 million into Georgia’s House special election, bringing its total spending to nearly $5 million four weeks before the election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said the new investment will include $1.5 million for TV ads, and the remainder will be used for African-American radio and newspaper ads, as well as get-out-the-vote digital efforts and mailers.

Democrats are spending big to back Jon Ossoff in the June 20 runoff against Republican Karen Handel. The race to fill the seat vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has shot to national prominence as Democrats seek to pick off a longtime safe GOP seat.

{mosads}“This significant surge of investments will highlight the stark contrast between Secretary Karen Handel, a big spending career politician, and Jon Ossoff, an independent voice with a strong vision for Atlanta’s future,” said Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), chairman of the DCCC.

“We’re excited to continue supporting Jon’s dynamic and exciting campaign in notable and smart ways.”

The additional investment comes as both parties continue to flood Georgia with resources and ads in the final month of the most expensive House race in U.S. history.

The Democratic National Committee recently announced that it’s engaging in the special election to support 10 new organizers who will be specifically targeting minority voters. And House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC trying to take back the House, announced a $700,000 investment to boost Ossoff.

Meanwhile, Republicans are also pumping money into the district in support of Handel, a former Georgia secretary of State. Both the House GOP’s campaign arm and the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC with ties to House leadership, continue to flood the airwaves with new spots.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) hit back at the DCCC’s additional investment, linking Ossoff to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Washington.

“This confirms exactly what Jon Ossoff has been desperately running from: he’d work in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and Washington Democrats to enact their liberal agenda,” said NRCC spokesman Jesse Hunt.

Runoff polls show a tight race, some with Ossoff slightly ahead and others with Handel leading. But a SurveyUSA poll released on Monday found Ossoff leading Handel by a surprising 7 points.

The district has been held by Republicans since 1979.

Updated at 1:40 p.m.