The Atlanta Voice
By: Itoro N. Umontuen
Today, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC (CBC PAC) announced its endorsement of investigative journalist and Georgia Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Jon Ossoff in his race against Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.).
According to their website, CBC PAC works to increase the number of African Americans in the U.S. Congress, support non-Black candidates that champion the interests of African Americans, and promote African American participation in the political process.
Ossoff previously worked for two members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the late Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Hank Johnson.
Announcing the endorsement, CBC PAC Executive Director Yolonda Addison issued the following statement:
“Jon Ossoff is committed to ensuring that every Georgian has access to health care, that our economy works for everyone and that we are able to root out corruption,” Addison said. “Congressional Black Caucus PAC is proud to endorse him for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. We look forward to welcoming him in the Senate so that he can vote to ensure every American has health care, pass a new Civil Rights Act and Voting Right Act, and put working families and small businesses first.”
“I’ve been honored to work closely with the Congressional Black Caucus and its members throughout my career, and I’m honored by the CBC PAC’s support,” said Ossoff. “I will work tirelessly in the Senate to expand economic opportunity, health, and education for Georgia’s Black community — and I look forward to working alongside the Congressional Black Caucus to pass landmark civil rights and voting rights legislation to make equal justice, equal protection, and equal representation real for every citizen.”
Currently, Ossoff has experienced a strong uptick in the polls. According to RealClearPolitics, two of the eight tossup races are here in Georgia. In the latest polling conducted by Quinnipiac, the DeKalb County Democrat has a 49-to-48 lead on incumbent Senator David Perdue, within the 3% margin of error.
Ossoff also leads self-identified independents by a 10-point margin.
“This Georgia race looms as one of several that could shift the balance of power in the U.S. Senate,” Quinnipiac’s polling analyst, Tim Malloy, said in a news release.
The tight U.S. Senate races are a by-product of the closer-than-expected Presidential race in Georgia. No Democrat has carried Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992. A Monmouth University poll had Trump up 47-to-46, and an Atlanta Journal-Constitution survey had the race tied at 47 percent apiece. The Real Clear Politics polling average has Trump leading by 1.2 percentage points.
