In November, GA-06 Nearly Went For Clinton-- Are They Ready To Replace Tom Price With Progressive Democrat Jon Ossoff?

The psychopath in the video above-- oh, watch this-- is Donald Bolena, Jr., one of the Republicans running for the GA-06 suburban Atlanta congressional seat that Tom Price is giving up if he's confirmed to be Trump's Secretary of Health. He was a big Trump advocate and his is what the American conservative mind has devolved into after years of Hate Talk Radio and Fox News. He calls himself Donnie. I hope he wins the GOP primary in this district just north of Atlanta.

It sounds prohibitive for a Democrat to run there. The PVI is R+14 and in 2008 McCain beat Obama 59-40%. Four years later Romney beat Obama 61-37% in these Fulton, Cobb and DeKalb county towns. These year, however, it was a little different. Hillary nearly won. She never campaigned there or spent any money there but Trump only beat her 48.3-46.8%, the closest call in the Deep South. The GOP margin, in just 4 short years, went from 61% to 48%. This district is in play... especially as Trump and the congressional Republicans look more and more unpopular to Americans across the country.

I'm not sure what the stats were for the congressional district in the GOP primary, but this was definitely not Trump country. The district's voters like in 3 counties, Fulton, Cobb and Dekalb and Rubio beat Trump handily in all 3, especially in Fulton, which provides the biggest share of the vote and where Rubio took 41.6% to Trump's 26.6%.

The best-known Republican running so far is state Senator Judson Hill, although two other big-name Republicans are likely to jump in: former Secretary of State anti-anti-Choice fanatic Karen Handel and former state Senator Dan Moody. Then there's our friend Donnie Bolena, a couple of Muslims who probably aren't going to make it to the primary-- Mohammad Ali Bhuiyan and SM Abu Zahed-- plus a couple of other tea party featherweights, Johns Creek City Councilman Bob Gray and some random guy named Kurt Wilson.

The Democratic race is the one we're interested in, although it's a jungle primary with all the Democrats and all the Republicans running on one ballot and the top 2 vote-getters, regardless of party, making it to the runoff. Originally the Democrats thought they could win with state Rep. Scott Holcomb but he announced he wouldn't run and threw his support behind a garden variety Democratic ex-state Rep Sally Harrell. She's the old-line establishment candidate. A former state Senator, Ron Slotin, is also running. Neither of the other candidates has demonstrated any energy or strength and with John Lewis backing Ossoff you have to wonder why either would stay in as a spoiler and let both slots fall to Republicans. An attorney named Josh McLaurin was in the race for a few weeks but he dropped out January 17 and endorsed the progressive choice, Jon Ossoff, a former staffer for John Lewis. Lewis has asked Atlanta area Democrats to unite behind Ossoff and not risk the chance of two Republicans making it to the runoff because of Democratic in-fighting. "Jon is committed to progress and justice and he knows how to fight the good fight," he said on the day Ossoff, who was born in the district, declared. "We should unite behind Jon and send a clear message that Donald Trump doesn’t represent our values." Ossoff isn't shying away from the resistance. He spoke at the march last week:



In his first speech as a candidate he referred to Trump as "an embarrassment and a threat to prosperity and health, justice, and security in the Sixth District." Congressman Hank Johnson, for whom he also worked at one time, said Ossoff is "tireless and effective. When Jon was on my staff he delivered millions in education and transportation funding for Georgia, investigated malfeasance in government contracting, and worked on highly classified national security policy. Jon has the skills and experience to win this election and hold Trump to account."

Blue America endorsed Jon today and we'll be explaining that in more detail in the coming days and weeks. If you'd like to help him turn GA-06 blue, please tap the thermometer below and contribute what you can: