Not surprised:
A federal judge on Thursday ordered Georgia to reopen voter registration before the June run-off for the open House seat in the sixth district, a move that will allow more eligible citizens to participate in the election.
On Monday, Republican candidate Karen Handel told her supporters that the “partisan” decision will “boil your blood.”
In a fundraising email, Handel — who will face off against Democrat Jon Ossoff in June — called the ruling by U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten, a George W. Bush appointee, a “partisan attempt to change the rules… for a nakedly partisan outcome.”
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and four other voting rights organization who argued the 90-day cut off for registration before the run-off violated the National Voter Registration Act. That law states that all eligible citizens should be allowed to vote if they register at least 30 days before an election.
In his ruling, Judge Batten agreed with the plaintiffs.
“If a preliminary injunction is not granted requiring defendants to process voter-registration applications received after the previous deadline of March 20, numerous voters who would otherwise be eligible to vote in the runoff will be denied that right,” he wrote.
Well if I didn’t want to debate my opponent in public, I’d be furious about this as well:
Shortly after the first round of voting, Ossoff challenged Handel to a series of six debates. Initially, Handel’s campaign agreed to the request, stating, “We welcome any chance to highlight Jon Ossoff’s inexperience and are excited to have a robust debate on the issues.”
The first debate was scheduled to be at the Dunwoody Homeowner’s Association. But at the last minute, according to the local Reporter Newspapers, Handel abruptly told DHA President Robert Wittenstein she was backing out:
“I heard [May 7] from the Handel campaign that they are not going to accept our invitation; the reason that they gave was they a have a scheduling conflict,” Wittenstein told about a dozen DHA board members who booed when they heard there was not going to be a debate.
“But the email exchange just prior to that was …their question of whether or not [the debate] would be open to the public or if it was going to be restricted to Dunwoody residents or members of the DHA,” he said. “When I told them it would be open to the public, the next response was we have a scheduling conflict.“
Handel’s choice to back out immediately after learning that the debate was open to the public is a very poor look — especially considering that Ossoff went out of his way to make himself available to the DHA president.
Also, look who’s coming to try and save Handel’s campaign:
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan will headline an event in Georgia with Republican Karen Handel on May 15, making him the latest high-profile GOP leader to stump with the 6th Congressional District candidate.
Ryan campaign spokesman Zack Roday said the speaker is “proud to stand with Karen Handel, a strong conservative leader who will be a fighter for Georgians.”
Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state, has tried to quickly consolidate Republican support since landing a spot in the June 20 runoff against Democrat Jon Ossoff. President Donald Trump starred in an April fundraiser with her in Atlanta, while Ryan hosted a Washington event for the candidate last week.
Not sure having Ryan is going to help her. Even conservative Washington Post columnist, Jennifer Rubin, thinks Trumpcare is going to help Jon Ossoff’s (D. GA) campaign:
The Georgia 6th Congressional District special election to replace now-Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price was already looking like a referendum on President Trump. With millions of dollars pouring into the race on both sides, the contest between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel seemed tailor-made to measure the demographic shifts in wealthy suburbs and the staying power of the Trump message.
This past week, the race became a referendum specifically on the America Health Care Act. Ossoff put out a statement after the House vote deploring the bill. “I strongly oppose this bill, which allows discrimination against Georgians with pre-existing conditions and would make health insurance unaffordable for millions of families,” he said. “This bill puts Georgians’ lives at risk. Congress should put aside partisan politics and work to make affordable insurance and quality care available to all Americans.”
Handel did not even question the absence of a Congressional Budget Office score. Her office gave the Washington Examiner a statement: “Karen would have joined with the Republicans in the Georgia delegation in voting in favor of the bill. She believes that the status quo is unacceptable and that this legislation, while not perfect, represents just the first step in replacing Obamacare with patient-centered healthcare.” Of note, she didn’t bother to defend it on the merits. Had she been in the House, she would have been one more dutiful foot soldier for Trump.
Lets seal the deal and win this damn thing next month! Click here to donate and get involved with Ossoff’s campaign.