United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020
- Election date: Nov. 3
- Registration deadline(s): Oct. 5
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Recount laws
- Early voting starts: Oct. 12
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (received)
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
 |
 David Perdue  Jon Ossoff |
| Kelly Loeffler Raphael Warnock |
Incumbent David Perdue (R) and Jon Ossoff (D) advanced to a runoff from the November 3, 2020, election for U.S. Senate in Georgia as no candidate won a majority of the vote. Ossoff won the runoff held on January 5, 2021. Shane Hazel (L) also ran in the general election.
Perdue was running for a second term in office after first being elected in 2014. That year, he defeated Michelle Nunn (D) by a margin of 7.7 percentage points. Before Perdue's predecessor, Saxby Chambliss (R), won election in 2002, the seat had been held by Democrats since the Civil War.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties targeted Georgia's Senate races. Republican National Committee co-chairman Tommy Hicks said, "Georgia is very important to the president. Also, we’re going to flip some seats, and we’ve got two Senate seats to win. Don’t forget about that." Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez said, "Georgia is critical. There’s not a state in the country that has two Senate races going on this year, so Georgia has twice as much opportunity as any other state."[1]
As of October 29, 2020, satellite groups had spent $90 million on the race, with the Senate Leadership Fund spending $43 million and Senate Majority PAC spending $25 million.[2]
Ossoff completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click here to read his responses.
The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. Senate. Thirty-five of 100 seats were up for election, including two special elections. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 53-45 majority over Democrats in the Senate. Independents who caucus with the Democrats held the two remaining seats. Republicans faced greater partisan risk in the election. They defended 23 seats while Democrats defended 12. Both parties had two incumbents representing states the opposite party's presidential nominee won in 2016.
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.
• Click here for more on the special election runoff.
Aftermath
- Jan. 6, 2021: Ossoff defeated Perdue in the runoff election.
- Nov. 6, 2020: Perdue's percentage of votes in the regular election dropped below 50%. The Associated Press called a runoff for the race.
- Perdue's campaign said in a statement, "There is one thing we know for sure: Sen. David Perdue will be reelected to the U.S. Senate and Republicans will defend the majority. ... If overtime is required when all of the votes have been counted, we're ready, and we will win."
- Ossoff said that day before the AP call, "We have all the momentum, we have all the energy, we're on the right side of history. Y'all ready to work? We're just getting started."[3]
- Nov. 3, 2020: The general election was held. The race was too close to call.
Click here for older updates.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Georgia modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Candidate filing procedures: The petitioning deadline for minor-party and unaffiliated candidates was extended to August 14, 2020. The petition signature requirement for independent and minor-party candidates was reduced to 70 percent of their original numbers.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Georgia
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | David Perdue (R) | 49.7 | 2,462,617 |
| ✔ |  | Jon Ossoff (D)  | 47.9 | 2,374,519 |
 | Shane Hazel (L) | 2.3 | 115,039 | |
| Total votes: 4,952,175 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Darrell McGuire (Independent)
- Clifton Kilby (Independent)
- Elbert Bartell (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Georgia
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jon Ossoff | 52.8 | 626,819 |
 | Teresa Tomlinson | 15.8 | 187,416 | |
 | Sarah Riggs Amico | 11.8 | 139,574 | |
 | Maya Dillard Smith | 8.8 | 105,000 | |
 | James Knox | 4.2 | 49,452 | |
 | Marckeith DeJesus | 3.9 | 45,936 | |
 | Tricia Carpenter McCracken | 2.7 | 32,463 | |
| Total votes: 1,186,660 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Akhenaten Amun (D)
- Harold Shouse (D)
- Elaine Whigham Williams (D)
- Ted Terry (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Georgia
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Perdue | 100.0 | 992,555 |
| Total votes: 992,555 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Jackson (R)
- Michael Jowers (R)
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Georgia in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Georgia, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Georgia | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $5,220.00 | 3% of annual salary | 3/6/2020 | Source |
| Georgia | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 36,180 | 1% of voters eligible to vote for the office in the last election (reduced to 70% of statutory requirement) | $5,220.00 | 3% of annual salary | 8/14/2020 | Source |
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[4] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
U.S. Senate (Assumed office: 2015)
Biography: Perdue graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in industrial engineering in 1972 and obtained his master's degree in operations research from the same school in 1976. Perdue worked as a management consultant with the firm of Kurt Salmon Associates before moving into corporate leadership roles. He has worked as president and chief executive officer of Reebok, chairman and chief executive officer of Dollar General, and senior vice president of Asia operations for Sara Lee. Perdue is the co-founder of trading firm Perdue Partners.
Show sources
Sources: David Perdue 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 31, 2020, Youtube, "Stand With Me," March 2, 2020; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "PERDUE, David Alfred, Jr. (1949-)," accessed August 31, 2020, David Perdue 2020 campaign website, "Meet David," accessed August 31, 2020
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I run a small business that exposes corruption, organized crime, and war crimes for news organizations worldwide. My wife Alisha is an OB/GYN physician, and we both grew up in Atlanta. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a Master's of Science from the London School of Economics. Before embarking upon my career in journalism and media production, I worked as a national security aide for Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson, handling defense and economic policy. Since 2013, I have been the CEO of Insight TWI, a 30-year old media production company that produces investigations of corruption, organized crime, and war crimes that are broadcast internationally to a global television audience of hundreds of millions. In recent years, we have investigated and exposed sexual slavery of women and girls by ISIS, crooked judges, foreign officials who steal U.S-funded food and medical aid, contract killers, human traffickers, war crimes, and bribery."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.
Party: Libertarian Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Shane Hazel is a Husband, Father, Marine Combat Vet, Host & Producer of The Rebellion Podcast & CEO of Gone Too Far Inc, production company. My mission is to bring people together while preserving the freedom of every individual, regardless of skin color, age, faith, gender, love and every other nuance which make us unique. We must come together and remove the government/corporate cabals from the lives of peaceful people here in the US and around the world."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| U.S. Senate election in Georgia, 2020: General election polls | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date | Perdue
|
Ossoff
|
 Hazel
|
Undecided / N/A | Other | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| Morning Consult | Oct. 22-31 | 46% | 47% | -- | -- | -- | ± 2 | 1,743 | -- |
| Public Policy Polling | Oct. 27-28 | 44% | 47% | 3% | 6% | -- | ± 3.8 | 661 | -- |
| Monmouth | Oct. 23-27 | 46% | 49% | 2% | 1% | 1% | ± 4.4 | 504 | -- |
| Civiqs | Oct. 23-26 | 45% | 51% | 2% | 1% | 1% | ± 3.3 | 1,041 | Daily Kos |
| YouGov | Oct. 20-23 | 47% | 46% | -- | 4% | 2% | ± 3.4 | 1,102 | CBS |
| Click [show] to see older poll results | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date | Perdue
|
Ossoff
|
Hazel
|
Undecided | Other | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| University of Georgia | Oct. 14-23 | 45% | 46% | 4% | 5% | -- | ± 4.0 | 1,145 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution |
| New York Times/Siena College | Oct. 13-19 | 43% | 43% | 4% | 8% | 1% | ± 4.1 | 759 | -- |
| Opinion Insight LLC | Oct. 12-15 | 44% | 44% | -- | 8% | 5% | ± 3.5 | 800 | American Action Forum |
| Quinnipiac | Oct. 8-12 | 45% | 51% | -- | 3% | -- | ± 3 | 1,040 | -- |
| Data for Progress | Oct. 8-11 | 43% | 44% | 3% | 10% | -- | ± 3.5 | 782 | Indivisible/Crooked Media |
| Public Policy Polling | Oct. 8-9 | 43% | 44% | 4% | 9% | -- | ± 4.3 | 528 | -- |
| Civiqs | September 26-29, 2020 | 46% | 48% | 3% | 2% | 1% | +/- 3.5 | 969 | Daily Kos |
| Quinnipiac | September 23-27, 2020 | 48% | 49% | -- | 2% | -- | +/- 2.9 | 1,125 | -- |
| Redfield & Wilton Strategies | September 23-26, 2020 | 42% | 47% | -- | 9% | 3% | +/- 3.5 | 789 | -- |
| YouGov | September 22-25, 2020 | 47% | 42% | -- | 8% | 3% | +/- 3.3 | 1,164 | CBS |
| Monmouth | September 17-21, 2020 | 48% | 42% | 4% | 6% | 1% | +/- 4.9 | 402 | -- |
| New York Times/Siena College | Sept. 17-21 | 41% | 38% | 5% | 16% | -- | ± 4.9 | 523 | -- |
| University of Georgia School of International and Public Affairs | September 11-20, 2020 | 47% | 45% | 4% | 5% | -- | +/- 4.3 | 1,150 | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |
| Redfield & Wilton Strategies | September 12-16, 2020 | 43% | 43% | -- | 11% | 3% | +/- 3.5 | 763 | N/A |
| SurveyUSA | August 6-8, 2020 | 44% | 41% | -- | 10% | 4% | ± 5.3 | 623 | N/A |
| YouGov | July 28-31, 2020 | 45% | 43% | -- | 10% | 3% | ± 3.4 | 1,101 | CBS News |
| Monmouth University | July 23-27, 2020 | 49% | 43% | 1% | 7% | -- | ± 4.9 | 402 | N/A |
| SPRY Strategies | July 11-16, 2020 | 46% | 44% | -- | 6% | 4% | ± 3.7 | 700 | American Principles Project |
| Gravis Marketing | July 2, 2020 | 48% | 43% | -- | 9% | -- | ± 4.3 | 513 | One America News Network |
| Beacon Research, Shaw & Company Research, and Braun Research, Inc. | June 20-23, 2020 | 45% | 42% | -- | 8% | 3% | ± 3 | 1,013 | FOX News |
Ballotpedia Power Index
- See also: The Ballotpedia Power Index
The Ballotpedia Power Index (BPI) is an election forecasting tool which factors in polling averages from RealClearPolitics and share prices on PredictIt to project the overall chances of each candidate winning election. It is updated every weekday. The following chart displays the BPI for this race dating back to August 20, 2020.
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[5] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[6]
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Perdue | Republican Party | $102,722,246 | $90,354,529 | $12,414,002 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Jon Ossoff | Democratic Party | $156,146,538 | $151,814,804 | $4,331,733 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Shane Hazel | Libertarian Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Timeline
2020
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
David Perdue
Supporting Perdue
|
|
|
|
Opposing Ossoff
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jon Ossoff
Supporting Ossoff
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opposing Perdue
|
|
Satellite group ads
Opposing Perdue
|
|
Opposing Ossoff
|
|
Debates and forums
October 29, 2020
Gray Television hosted a debate. View a video here.
October 12, 2020
The Atlanta Press Club hosted a debate. View a video here.
Campaign themes
David Perdue
Perdue's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
David Perdue is a successful business leader with 40 years of real world business experience who helped grow some of America’s most recognizable companies including Sara Lee, Haggar, and Reebok. As a Fortune 500 CEO, David led the expansion of Dollar General, opening new locations around America and creating thousands of quality jobs. While working his way to the top of the business world, he gained a firsthand understanding of the global economy and the impact government policies have on businesses. David has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and throughout the United States, but he always relied on the values he learned from his Middle Georgia upbringing. Perdue was born in Macon, Georgia and raised in Warner Robins, the son of two educators. His parents were both the first in their families to go to college. From an early age, David was taught the importance of a good education. His father eventually became superintendent of Houston County Schools, and in that role he integrated the school system without incident in the early 1960s. David was expected to lead by example, which meant hard work in the classroom during the school year and hard work in the fields of family farms during the summer months. One of his first jobs was in a Head Start program where he saw firsthand how important early learning is to ultimate success in school. At Georgia Tech, David earned a degree in Industrial Engineering and paid his way through by working warehouse and construction jobs. After graduating, he married Bonnie, whom he had met in the first grade and they have been married for over 40 years. Perdue worked full-time with Kurt Salmon Associates while enrolled in graduate school and Bonnie taught in Gwinnett County. David earned his second degree from Tech, a master’s in Operations Research. After completing his academic work at Tech, Perdue began a professional career that took him around the globe and to the helm of major corporations. As a Principal of Kurt Salmon Associates, a management consulting firm, David helped dozens of companies improve their products and expand operations. He quickly learned that his best ideas came from working on the factory floor and talking with employees. This personal, hands-on approach was more effective than anything Perdue learned from a textbook. He developed a deep understanding of manufacturing, a genuine connection with co-workers, and the ability to utilize those strengths anywhere in the world. Ultimately, Perdue served as an executive for leading international companies. He accepted tough business challenges from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Paris to Dallas, Boston, and Nashville. As Senior Vice President of Asia Operations for Sara Lee, Perdue established the company’s first Asia headquarters. As President and CEO of the Reebok brand, he was credited with revitalizing the athletic brand and inking the company’s first-ever exclusive deals with the NBA, NFL, and NHL. As Chairman and CEO of Dollar General, he oversaw the company’s expansion from 5,900 to 8,500 stores nationwide creating thousands of quality jobs. While at Dollar General, he also became heavily involved in literacy and served as Chairman of the National Commission on Literacy and Workforce Development. David has proven himself in international business and has happily settled back in his home state of Georgia. Before coming to the U.S. Senate, he sat on the Board of Directors of five major corporations and co-founded Perdue Partners, a Georgia-based global trading company. Perdue recently served as an appointee to the Georgia Ports Authority and is a Trustee and Treasurer of the Georgia Tech Foundation. David and Bonnie have two sons and three grandsons. The couple attends Wesley United Methodist Church in St. Simons.[23] |
” |
| —David Perdue's campaign website (2020)[24] | ||
Jon Ossoff
Ossoff's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
The Economy This crisis is laying bare structural inequity and corruption in U.S. economic policy. Similar to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, while hardship is concentrated among working- and middle-class families and smaller businesses, the fastest and biggest emergency relief has gone straight to the top. The government’s financial safety net for Wall Street is vast and instantaneous, while help for ordinary people and smaller firms has been meager and slow. Rather than relying on subsidies for Wall Street as economic stimulus and hoping the benefits trickle down, I’ll support policies that help Georgia’s families make and save more money: fast and generous direct emergency relief during economic crises, lower taxes for all but the wealthiest Americans, debt-free public college, free vocational training, and health care guaranteed at an affordable price. To create millions of jobs, revitalize our economy, and alleviate poverty, I’ll support the most ambitious infrastructure program in history. Upgraded infrastructure will serve as the foundation for decades of prosperity, sustainability, and health. Georgia is a growing economic powerhouse in agriculture, logistics, aerospace, technology, clean energy, and media. Georgia’s businesses and entrepreneurs are the crucial engine of job and wealth creation in our state. I’ll work to make tax and regulatory compliance simpler and more efficient for our businesses. I’ll expose and attack unfair and unethical trade, labor, and environmental practices by overseas competitors that disadvantage American workers and businesses. I’ll work to reduce our dependence on Chinese supply chains and strengthen domestic producers. I’ll support strong antitrust enforcement and I’ll attack anti-competitive special interest subsidies secured by dominant firms with lobbying power at the expense of smaller competitors and startups. These policies will support long-term prosperity, competitiveness, and strength. The health of the banking system is vital, but public funds and loans shouldn’t subsidize speculative short-term trading on Wall Street. That’s why I’ll vote to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, so Federal economic policy serves the long-term prosperity, stability, and financial security of families and productive enterprises, not short-term gains for investment banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Lobbying and political contributions should not buy bailout money, unfair subsidies, or impunity for labor and environmental abuses. But as long as money buys political influence, our government’s policies will favor the most powerful special interests, distorting the market to benefit the best connected people and businesses. That’s one of many reasons campaign finance reform is essential to our prosperity and competitiveness. I’ve dedicated my career to fighting corruption. I run a business that investigates bribery and the abuse of power worldwide. I’m not taking contributions from corporate PACs or Congressional lobbyists. As Georgia’s Senator, I will be accountable exclusively to the people of our state. Health Care The link between health and wealth must be broken. It is essential that every single American has great health care. And Georgia already faced a shocking health crisis, with among the highest rates of uninsurance and maternal mortality in the country. In the U.S. Senate, I’ll work to make great health insurance a simple, affordable, reassuring reality for all of us. Other countries have achieved this. So can we. Health insurance is too expensive and complex, and protections for women, young people, and pre-existing conditions are under attack. Few plans are available, premiums are high, surprise billing is frequent, and dealing with insurance companies can be a nightmare. Even today, in the midst of a massive health crisis, the GOP, led by David Perdue, is still working to rip health insurance from tens of millions of Americans. The GOP and David Perdue have also long planned to cut Medicare, putting health care for seniors at risk. I’ll vote to protect and strengthen Medicare, and I support offering all Americans a public health insurance option as an affordable alternative to private insurance. The public plan’s premiums will be affordable for all and there will be no deductibles for necessary care. Its coverage will be comprehensive — including preventative care, prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, mental health, and neonatal and postnatal care. Medicaid expansion and auto-enrollment of the uninsured will ensure all Americans are covered regardless of wealth. Your insurance will be your choice. Americans will be free to maintain exclusively private health insurance or to purchase supplemental private insurance on top of the public plan if they so choose. For those with private insurance, I’ll vote to strengthen the Affordable Care Act’s protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions, women, and young people. Those protections remain under attack by the health insurance industry and their allies in the GOP. I’ll vote to crack down on price gouging by drug companies and make more generic medicine available. I’ll work relentlessly to deliver federal funds to build more health clinics and hire more health care workers across Georgia, especially in rural and underserved communities, and to solve Georgia’s shocking and shameful maternal health crisis. Under my plan, the public option will include higher reimbursement rates for rural hospitals because they are vital assets in our communities. And I’ll introduce legislation to expand the U.S. Public Health Service so it can recruit, train, and deploy more medical teams to clinics across Georgia and the nation. Infrastructure These investments will create job training and employment opportunities for millions of American workers and demand for products made by American businesses. They will revitalize our economy and lay the foundations for decades of prosperity, environmental sustainability, and health. Infrastructure is often taken for granted. It includes energy production and the grid, transit, roads, bridges, tunnels, rail, aviation, ports and waterways, communications, cybersecurity, water treatment and distribution, housing, and public health. Upgraded infrastructure will make life safer and more convenient, support commerce, attract investment, protect our environment, and improve our health. Strong, advanced infrastructure is also essential for resilient and effective emergency response – whether pandemic, natural disaster, national security, or the totally unexpected. Money spent on infrastructure is truly an investment in America, with positive returns across the entire economy and dramatic improvements to our quality of life. The Environment We face an urgent environmental crisis as out-of-control pollution is fast changing the climate, destroying ecosystems, killing off species, and damaging human health. The scientific consensus is unambiguous: if pollution from fossil fuel combustion is not controlled, the consequences will be dire. We can meet our energy needs without destroying the environment — but only by rapidly transitioning to clean energy sources, dramatically reducing carbon emissions, and increasing energy efficiency. That’s why I’ll support a historic infrastructure plan that includes massive investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and environmental protection. I’ll push for America to immediately re-enter the Paris Climate Accords — and then to lead negotiation of an even more ambitious climate treaty. I’ll work to reverse the Trump Administration’s rollbacks of clean air, clean water, and fuel economy standards — and then to strengthen them. I’ll push for fast advances in sustainability — including a rapidly phased-in ban on single-use plastics, strongly enforced treaties to protect oceans and fisheries, aggressive protection of endangered species and habitats, increased fines for spills and contamination, and stricter controls on toxic chemicals. Criminal Justice Reform Yet in the United States today, deep race and class disparities persist in policing, prosecution, and sentencing. Racial profiling, arbitrary detention, brutality, and abuse in detention and incarceration are widespread. We incarcerate tens of thousands guilty of non-violent, victimless crimes, destroying lives and incurring massive costs. The deck is stacked against defendants who lack money, while those with wealth and connections often secure special treatment or outright impunity. Our approach to punishment must respect the human dignity of incarcerated people and recognize that except for the most dangerous violent criminals, successful re-entry to society after incarceration is crucial for both the convicted and the public. Nevertheless, brutal and inhumane conditions prevail in our prisons and jails. Mandatory minimum sentencing, the drug war, and the misguided use of criminal enforcement as a response to addiction, mental illness, and poverty have contributed to mass incarceration that is a blight on our country. In the Senate, I will champion and fight tirelessly to pass a New Civil Rights Act that strengthens civil rights laws and advances comprehensive criminal justice reform. Race and class disparities in policing, prosecution, and sentencing must be ended nationwide. I will work to reverse the militarization of local police forces, enhance due process and human rights protections for all citizens, ban private prisons, end cash bail, reform prisons and raise conditions of incarceration to humane standards, abolish the death penalty, legalize cannabis, and end incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses. I’ll also support more federal law enforcement resources to attack organized crime, human trafficking, racketeering, money laundering, fraud, espionage, and corruption. Roe v. Wade I run a business that investigates organized crime and corruption for news organizations worldwide. Our teams have gone undercover to expose how dangerous, unqualified, and unregulated abortion providers kill thousands of women in places where safe abortion services are not available legally. In the Senate, I will only vote to confirm federal judges who pledge to uphold Roe v. Wade.
It didn’t have to be this way. The White House ignored the warnings and dismissed the threat. But accountability will have to wait for November. The immediate solutions are clear, but they must be implemented with the speed, competence, and focus demanded by a great challenge such as this. Congress and the Administration should focus on boosting the health response, shoring up Americans’ finances, and speeding up containment and adaptation so Americans can return to work and normal life as soon as possible. In the meantime, we must intensify short-term efforts to crack down on the spread. First, every effort must be made to boost hospitals and the health response. The key immediate vulnerabilities are inadequate ICU capacity, insufficient testing capacity, a shortage of medical equipment for respiratory critical care, and lack of protective gear for doctors and nurses. The lack of protective equipment is personal for me — my wife Alisha is a doctor here at an Atlanta hospital — but we’re all at risk when medical teams fall sick. The federal government should spend whatever it takes and cut through all the red tape to fill these gaps. (This effort should have begun in January.) Use the Army Corps of Engineers, military logistical and medical units, and the Defense Production Act as necessary to build hospital capacity and properly equip medical teams. Give governors whatever they need. Be transparent about how many additional beds, respiratory critical care units, and isolation wards will be built, where, and by when. Go fast! Second, shore up Americans’ finances. Millions are losing jobs. Families are staring over a financial cliff. This isn’t the time for partisan bickering and gridlock. Congress must immediately send generous emergency cash to tide over people and businesses. The fastest and most generous help should go to those who need it the most. And no secret slush funds or special favors for powerful corporations. We need complete transparency and rigorous accountability. The president’s dismissal of the Inspector General for the $2 trillion relief program just days after it was enacted is outrageous. A repeat of the bank bailout debacle would destroy what little public trust in government remains. Third, speed up containment and adaptation so we can find a “new normal” quickly and get back to work. Study countries that are seeing success. Equip medical experts to track the virus, defending privacy and civil liberties along the way. We have to know where the virus is and isn’t. That means widespread testing and free COVID-19 treatment (so no one is afraid to get tested). Isolate the virus. Establish clear policies for the self-quarantine of infected Americans until they are healthy. Tighten and enforce regulations to protect seniors from exposure. Reinforce strong hygiene. Implement widespread temperature checks. Mandate the routine disinfection of public spaces and surfaces. Finally, intensify short-term efforts to crack down on the spread. Our highest hopes are that these efforts are swiftly effective and the virus is less lethal than suspected. But severe illness is still spreading exponentially, and many hospitals are warning they’ll soon be overwhelmed. Governors and mayors should listen to them and slow down the virus by implementing strong distancing policies now, not later, including shelter-in-place orders where necessary. This buys time to build health care capacity and to develop therapies and vaccines. Social distancing at such scale cannot continue indefinitely. That is precisely why we must boost the health response and speed up containment and adaptation — so we can return to our lives without overloading hospitals and causing unnecessary deaths. We can do these things and defeat the virus together. This won’t last forever. But at minimum, the next few months are going to be hard. It is vital that the federal response become more effective and coherent. In 2014, my company investigated the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, where government mistakes cost lives. We can’t afford any more mistakes here. I truly don’t know if our elected officials in Washington realize how selfish and incompetent they look. The President has been negligent and erratic. Senators were briefed and adjusted their stock portfolios instead of preparing the public. They all have to get real now, and I pray for all our sakes they are successful. We’re still America. We have huge resources and brilliant people. Consider what we’ve achieved together when we‘ve brought to bear all that we must: the miraculous industrial mobilization of World War II, the New Deal, the Apollo program. We’re still Americans. This is what we do. Let’s get to work! Education But in America today, equality of opportunity isn’t a reality — and in so many ways that inequality starts in our educational system. To improve the quality of primary and secondary education, I support increasing teacher pay and breaking the link between a community’s wealth and the funding available for its public schools. When discussing higher education, the national political debate tends to focus on four-year college degrees. We need greater emphasis on vocational training. For someone currently making $10 an hour without benefits, a commercial driver’s license or a welding certificate can be life-changing. That’s why in the Senate I’ll work to make trade school and vocational training free for every American. And I’ll work to make four-year degrees at our public colleges 100% debt-free. So many Americans today are held back by student debt — can’t start a business, start a family, or buy a home — because they can’t keep up with student loan payments. But the cost of education shouldn’t hold us back. Education should expand our opportunities. I support a generous forgiveness program for those struggling to pay off their student loans, caps on interest rates to relieve financial stress for all borrowers, and a program that links Federal student loan payments to income so paying off student loans is never a financial hardship. Gun Safety Reforms I support the Second Amendment and I respect the overwhelming majority of gun owners who recognize that guns aren’t toys; they are lethal and dangerous tools. Firearms possession comes with great responsibilities for safe ownership, storage, and use. The shocking level of gun violence in America today makes plain the need for gun safety reforms, which will not preclude any responsible and qualified American from owning firearms for home defense, hunting, marksmanship, collection, or recreation. I support universal criminal history checks for gun purchases, red flag laws to protect family members and domestic partners concerned about the mental health of their loved ones, and closing the gun show loophole. I support a ban on the sale of semi-automatic rifles (“assault weapons”) and high-capacity magazines to the general public. Americans who would purchase high-powered weapons derived from modern military technology should be required to demonstrate high qualification and compelling specific needs. Most gun owners are responsible, qualified, and own weapons in good faith. However, the only objective of the firearms industry lobbyists is to drive up gun sales and enrich shareholders — even at the expense of public safety and common sense. I’m not taking a dime from the gun lobby, and I’ll fight to end their corrupt influence in Washington. Immigration Our country, like any country, must know and control who crosses our borders, and strong border security doesn’t require us to sacrifice our moral principles, our commitment to human rights, or our American identity as a haven for people fleeing persecution and striving for opportunity. Ripping children from their parents and disappearing them into federal custody is an atrocity. I’ll support an immigration policy that strengthens our borders, puts American workers first, respects human rights, and creates a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants who are already here and otherwise follow the law, especially those brought here as children. We must reform the horrifically dysfunctional Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement so that these agencies carry out their duties with competence and humanity. And instead of making life hell for migrants, immigration enforcement should crack down on the employers of undocumented immigrants, like The Trump Organization. LGBTQ Equality I will defend marriage equality and the right of gay couples to adopt children. I will support the Equality Act and vote to expand Federal anti-discrimination statutes to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation. I will oppose efforts to re-impose the ban on military service by openly gay Americans. Any American’s desire to serve and defend their country should be honored without discrimination. I’ll support strengthening anti-bullying programs for LGBTQ youth, and I will defend and support the safety and human rights of transgender Americans. The LGBTQ community will be able to count on me to stand with them as a strong and outspoken ally.[23] |
” |
| —Jon Ossoff's campaign website (2020)[25] | ||
Shane Hazel
Hazel's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
#EndTheWars #EndTheFed #EndTheEmpire Defense Cannabis Guns Education Economy Privacy Religion Life Liberty Property |
” |
| —Shane Hazel's campaign website (2020)[26] | ||
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[27]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[28][29][30]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Georgia, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Toss-up | Tilt Republican | Tilt Republican | Tilt Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Toss-up | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.
| Noteworthy endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Perdue (R) | Ossoff (D) | ||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| President Donald Trump (R)[22] | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former President Barack Obama (D) | ✔ | |||||
| 2020 Democratic presidential nominee/former Vice President Joe Biden[9] | ✔ | |||||
Election history
2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Johnny Isakson Incumbent |
54.8% | 2,135,806 | |
| Democratic | Jim Barksdale | 41% | 1,599,726 | |
| Libertarian | Allen Buckley | 4.2% | 162,260 | |
| Total Votes | 3,897,792 | |||
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State | ||||
2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Perdue |
52.89% | 1,358,088 | |
| Democratic | Michelle Nunn | 45.21% | 1,160,811 | |
| Libertarian | Amanda Swafford | 1.90% | 48,862 | |
| Total Votes | 2,567,761 | |||
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Johnny Isakson won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Michael "Mike" Thurmond (D), Chuck Donovan (L), Steve Davis (I), Raymond Beckworth (I) and Brian Russell Brown (I) in the general election.[31]
| U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Johnny Isakson Incumbent |
58.3% | 1,489,904 | |
| Democratic | Michael "Mike" Thurmond | 39% | 996,515 | |
| Libertarian | Chuck Donovan | 2.7% | 68,750 | |
| Independent | Steve Davis | 0% | 52 | |
| Independent | Raymond Beckworth | 0% | 24 | |
| Independent | Brian Russell Brown | 0% | 12 | |
| Total Votes | 2,555,257 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia, 2020
- United States Senate elections, 2020
Footnotes
- ↑ WSB TV, "Both sides agree – Georgia will be a battleground state in November," August 27, 2020
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Outside Spending -- Georgia Senate Race, 2020," accessed October 29, 2020
- ↑ NPR, "Georgia Senate Race Between David Perdue And Jon Ossoff Heads To A Runoff," November 6, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Trump back to Georgia as time runs down," November 1, 2020
- ↑ Politico, "Biden makes late push to flip the Senate," October 27, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cherokee Tribune & Ledger News, "Biden gives endorsements in Georgia's U.S. Senate races," October 26, 2020
- ↑ WTVM, "President Trump hosts campaign rally in Macon, Ga," October 16, 2020
- ↑ Civiqs, "Georgia survey, September 2020," accessed October 6, 2020
- ↑ Quinnipiac, "September 29, 2020 - Georgia Presidential And Senate Contests Are Tight, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Warnock Tops Field In Crowded Special Election," September 29, 2020
- ↑ Redfield & Wilton Strategies, "2020 Presidential Election Research, Georgia, 2 October 2020," October 2, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "Barack Obama on September 25, 2020," accessed September 25, 2020
- ↑ Monmouth, "Countervailing Shifts in a Stable Race," September 23, 2020
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "AJC poll: Race for president, Senate contests in Georgia ‘too close to call,’" updated September 22, 2020
- ↑ [https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/ga-ia-tx-crosstabs/ca61e64eaef883ac/full.pdf New York Times, "The New York Times/Siena College Research Institute, September 16-21, 2020, 523 Georgia Likely Voters," accessed September 28, 2020]
- ↑ Redfield & Wilton Strategies, "Latest Georgia and Minnesota Voting Intention (12 – 17 September)," September 20, 2020
- ↑ SurveyUSA, "Results of SurveyUSA Election Poll #25463," accessed August 31, 2020
- ↑ Google Drive, "CBS News Battleground Tracker - July 28-31, 2020," accessed August 31, 2020
- ↑ Monmouth University, "Parity in Presidential Race; GOP Leads in Both Senate Contests," July 29, 2020
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Twitter, "Donald J. Trump on June 11, 2020," accessed June 11, 2020
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ David Perdue 2020 campaign website, "Meet David," accessed August 28, 2020
- ↑ Jon Ossoff 2020 campaign website, "Policy," accessed August 28, 2020
- ↑ Shane Hazel 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 28, 2020
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
| |||||||||||
