Karen Handel Vs. Jon Ossoff: Ad Blitzes Begin In 6th District Race

EAST COBB, GA -- The runoff election for Georgia's 6th congressional district has begun with countering ads against Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel. Outside groups — GOP-backed and Democratic — have already spent millions in the race to replace the seat vacated by Roswell doctor Tom Price, who is now the nation's health secretary. The new ads show that both parties are willing to pump more money into the 6th District, which they regard as vital to partisan interests.

Earlier this week, Ossoff was able to best 17 other candidates in what many described as a litmus test of President Trump's popularity. The 30-year-old investigative filmmaker was able to capitalize on anti-Trump sentiment in a district that has voted Republican since 1979. But the Republicans are not giving up without a fight. Handel, a former Secretary of State friendly regarded as an establishment Republican, is being bolstered by the GOP elite to fend off Ossoff, a first-time candidate. SIGN UP: To stay up to date on all developments in the 6th District, click here to sign up for the East Cobb Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.

The GOP ad machine struck first: Less than 12 hours after Tuesday's grueling special election ended, the National Republican Congressional Committee released an ad attacking Ossoff for not living in the district and calling his experience into question.

Hours later, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee debuted an anti-Handel ad portraying her as "career politician taking us for a ride." The $450,000 ad is just the latest salvo in a two-month duel that will culminate when the 6th District, a swath of Atlanta's northern suburbs encompassing Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb counties, goes to the polls again on June 20.

Read more: Jon Ossoff Vs. Karen Handel: What National Media Are Saying

A slew of Republican candidates have gotten behind Handel since Tuesday's election, including former Sen. Judson Hill and Trump outreach director Bruce LeVell. Gov. Nathan Deal endorsed Handel on Wednesday, calling her "a steadfast and unwavering champion for Georgia's priorities in Washington."

Many national news outlets cast the candidates as polar opposites -- one an establishment politician friendly with the state's elite, the other a political newcomer who has reinvigorated the electorate. What ever the case may be, one thing is clear: Their parties are firmly behind them and Georgians in the 6th District can expect to see plenty of poltical ads in the next couple months.

Ossoff briefly appeared at a Democratic Party fundraiser Thursday night at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta. The event was attended by DNC Chairman Tom Perez and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters of California, who was the keynote speaker.

Read more: Dems, GOP Claim Win As Ossoff, Handel Face Runoff
Read more: Georgia 6th District Election Results: Ossoff Drops Under 50 Percent

Image via Patch file photo