Good news:
In the 11Alive poll, Ossoff grabs 43% of likely voters. Republicans Karen Handel (15%), Bob Gray (14%), and Dan Moody (7%) round out the top four. All other candidates combined make up 15%, and an additional 7% are undecided. Right now, Ossoff polls below the 50% needed to avoid a runoff.
"Polls are just polls. Now, it's all about turnout," Ossoff told 11Alive's Matt Pearl. "Turnout is key, but so, too, is uniting people around our vision for a local economy."
The poll deep dive seems to give us some hint of what we are looking at here. Ossoff has largely consolidated the Democrats in the district and is pulling half the so called indies and maybe a tenth or so of Republicans. Roughly, we need maybe another 10-20 percent of Republicans to cross over. That undecided number just has to be GOP voters who don't like Trump and are deciding to send a message or not. If he can get that 7% undecided to break for him late, he can get to 50%.
Ossoff's talk of high-tech jobs and economic development has struck a cord with the district's higher-income voters. Forty-eight percent of voters with incomes over $80,000 support Ossoff, compared with 15% for Handel.
Ossoff's overall support is young, educated and affluent. Among Democrats, he gets 86% of the vote. Of those who voted for Republican Tom Price in 2016, 13% cross over to vote for Ossoff.
Ossoff can afford to take some risks here. He's got to use his instincts. Its times like this when a politician has to CLOSE. We have to see if he has what it takes. Hustle Jon! Hustle!