Ossoff Leads Handel in Most Expensive House Race: Poll

NBC ^ | June 9, 2017 | Alex Seitz-Wald

[Pinkbell]

Democrat Jon Ossoff pulled ahead of Republican Karen Handel in the latest poll of a closely-watched Georgia special congressional election after he reported raking in an unprecedented $15 million over the past two months.

But operatives in both parties tracking the race say it has likely changed less than the new Atlanta Journal Constitution poll suggests, and say they still expect a photo finish on June 20.

Polling is tricky in special elections, when turnout is unpredictable. And after months of intense campaigning and airwaves saturated with ads, voters' opinions are largely set in place.

An advertising arms race between both parties has pushed spending the race north of $35 million, making it the most expensive House race in history as local TV stations add broadcasts to their programming in order to keep up with demand for more room for ads.

Early voting started last week in the race to fill the seat vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, which has become a national battleground over President Donald Trump and his healthcare plan.

Ossoff and Handel have been locked in more or less a dead heat since the first round of voting in April. But with Trump's national approval rating falling to new lows, Handel has tumbled a bit locally in the north Atlanta suburbs that make up Georgia's Sixth Congressional District.

The biggest change came in a new Atlanta Journal Constitution poll of likely voters, which found Ossoff leading Handel 51 percent to 44 percent in a district that has long been a conservative stronghold. Crucially, the poll showed Ossoff chipping off 13 percent of Republican voters and winning half of independents.

[Pinkbell]

For the record, I don't know the internals of the poll. I do know that he has received a massive infusion of money from liberals outside the district.

This poll says he gets 13% of Republicans - concerning if true. However, Trump doesn't have a 100% approval rating among Republicans, so it could be more liberal Republicans who oppose Trump.

Would it surprise me if he won? No, it wouldn't. He has an energized "resistance," the media is promoting him like he's a young Obama, and the Republicans have so far failed to get their agenda done.

Starting with healthcare was a mistake, and Trump's instincts were 100% right on that. I blame Trump's communications team and the Republican communications team, though, because now that you are doing healthcare, you need to be promoting the bill. As usual, the Democrats have 100% of the narrative out there with a willing media doing their legwork for them. The Republicans/Trump need to be doing listening sessions, town halls, press events, putting out videos, putting out ads, etc. showing all the people negatively effected by Obamacare, the negative effects of Obamacare, and promote their bill - explain why it will help people. (Trump has had a few such events, but the media doesn't cover them, so they need to be streamed over his Twitter and promoted better.) They have failed to do this, and guess what? The Democrats have won the narrative - millions will lose influence, granny is getting thrown over a cliff, people will die in the streets, etc. Obamacare is more popular than the healthcare bill that helped get them elected. Inexcusable yet predictable with the Republicans. You don't give floundering Dems something to coalesce and run on. Let it fail, blame them, and swoop in. Otherwise, promote the bill you are trying to pass or you have a bill in which no one understands and a narrative driven by your opponents.

Ossoff has capitalized on the feckless Republicans, and if they don't start getting things done AND promoting/explaining their legislations, it will only benefit the Democrats. The Democrats can pass bills because they aren't as divided. They are content with moving the goalposts.

[Mozilla]

And Hillary pulled away from Trump. Got it. #fake news

[JBW1949]

Hillary led Trump in most all the polls....Oh well....

[hoosiermama]

Your thoughts?

[CaptainK]

If he loses can we finally stop posting about, what seems to be, consistently flawed polls?

[sheehan]

Trump needs to make a trip down to GA.

[depressed in 06]

Has Handle asked Trump for a campaign visit?

[hoosiermama]

Has Newt visited?

[edie1960]

Considering Trump narrowly carried this district, I think Newt or HHS Secretary Price would be more beneficial.
Still a shame that the GOP had to field such a large slate of primary candidates thus making consolidating behind a single one much more difficult.

[rbg81]

Gee....this poll was commissioned by NBC? No bias there....[/s]

[hardspunned]

The Atlanta journal constitution poll. What else needs to be said? Does any one believe that it is possible for them to take a non partisan poll? Daily purveyor of fake news conducts an honest poll? Yeah, Right.

[DoughtyOne]

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Just $314.00 to 89.00%

[Timpanagos1]

“I do know that he has received a massive infusion of money from liberals outside the district.”

Why aren’t Republicans from outside the district contributing to her campaign?

[JayGalt]

This is that same garbage poll by Abt Associates reported earlier. The firm is not a polling firm, they are a Global Initiative firm run by leftists.

Abt Associates: Bold Thinking to Improve People’s Lives
www.abtassociates.com/

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research, evaluation, and implementing programs in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, .

[chuckee]

I guess they did not poll Ossoff because he does not live in the district he is running in and thus he is ineligible to vote for himself.

[Pinkbell]

No, this poll wasn’t commissioned by NBC. It was an Atlantic Journal Constitution poll.

[enduserindy]

The democrats are extremely divided. The media helps them appear united and even helps keep them on point. I also don’t think I can just except polling numbers as reported much. I wouldn’t be shocked if oseff wins but I don’t expect him to.

[Sarah Barracuda]

She wiped the floor with him during their debate and he will win anyway? He has already said he wants refugees in Georgia so people in GA are OK with that??

[Col Frank Slade]

You mean the Atlanta Urinal Constipation newspaper?

[nevergore]

Been in the sixth district here in Georgia for 30 years.....

There a lot of Assoff signs in Roswell......

My wife and I voted today (early voting) for Karen Handel....

She visits our Chocolate shop here in Roswell.....