The Story:
In Tuesday’s Democratic primary (Georgia) for a seat in the US Senate, media executive Jon Ossoff defeated a splintered field. But that night and through much of Wednesday it was unclear whether Ossoff would win more than 50%, the threshold necessary to avoid a run-off.
Background:
Since 2013, Ossoff has been the chief executive of Insight TWI, a television production company that markets documentaries, often political exposes, to broadcast stations.
Teresa Tomlinson came in second, with 15.2% of the vote. Tomlinson had served eight years as Columbia’s mayor, stepping down in January 2019. She then became a partner at an Atlanta based law firm.
Sarah Riggs Amico came in third Tuesday with 12.6% of the vote. She is the former chairperson of a trucking company.
The Thing to Know:
It wasn’t until Wednesday evening that the Associated Press was confident enough to say, not only that Ossoff had won, but that he had avoided any need for a run-off with Tomlinson. Ossoff received 50.5% of the vote.
This means that he can aim his fire immediately not at any fellow Democrat but against the Republican incumbent for the seat, Senator David Perdue. Perdue has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, and his removal from the Senate would be a big prize for the Democrats, however the Presidential election comes out.
