Obama Campaigns in Georgia for Ossoff and Bottoms Six Days Before the Midterms
Barack Obama spoke at a campaign rally in suburban Atlanta on Wednesday, backing Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms in the final week of the midterm campaign. The event took place six days before the election.
The rally was held at the Discovery Center of Clayton County, just south of Atlanta, and was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, according to PBS NewsHour. Between 3,500 and 4,000 people attended, according to The Guardian.
Ossoff is seeking re-election against Republican US Representative Mike Collins. Polling shows Ossoff holding a lead of eight to 10 points over Collins.
Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, is running against Republican Rick Jackson for governor. She is seeking to become the first Black woman elected governor. Polls show the two statistically tied, meaning neither holds a clear lead. At the rally, Bottoms discussed a pause on data center construction, which is a policy plan she has put forward. Data centers are large facilities that house the computer servers behind internet and cloud services.
The race takes place in a state where Republicans have held power for some time. Georgia has had a Republican trifecta, meaning the party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office, since 2004.
