Democrat gets backup in hunt for Georgia’s Sixth District

A left-leaning super PAC founded by former presidential candidate Howard Dean endorsed Democrat Jon Ossoff on Friday in the race to replace Rep. Tom Price.

Democracy for America said it made Ossoff its first congressional endorsement since the 2016 election because the April 18 special election is a way to show the power of the “rapidly growing grassroots resistance movement” battling Donald Trump.

“No single race for political office is going to signal the success or failure of the multiracial, multi-generational resistance movement that has emerged in Georgia and across the country to stand up to Donald Trump,” said Jim Dean, the chair of the organization. “But the grassroots campaign Jon is running is showing Democrats exactly how we need to fight.”

Ossoff, a 30-year-old documentary filmmaker, has quickly captured the imagination of Democrats hoping to notch an early victory against Trump in one of the first Congressional elections in the nation since the Republican became president. His campaign claims nearly $2 million in donations in less than two months, and national Democrats are pouring staff and resources into his race.

Republicans have paid notice, too: A GOP super PAC backed by House leaders has unleashed a $1.1 million ad barrage painting Ossoff as a privileged college student “dressing up with his drinking buddies” with footage of him masquerading as Han Solo.

The odds are daunting for Ossoff, who aims to flip a reliably conservative area that stretches from east Cobb County to north DeKalb. Although the 6th District favored Trump by only one point in November, its voters routinely elected Price by huge margins. Several big-name Republicans are in the race, and they hope to deflate Ossoff’s numbers to guarantee an all-GOP runoff.

More: Newcomer with war chest gives Democrats hope in Georgia’s 6th District

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