WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden will travel to Atlanta on Tuesday to campaign for Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock who are aiming to unseat the state’s two GOP senators in the Jan. 5 runoff election.
Biden will attend a drive-in rally, aiming to boost turnout for the two Democrats three weeks ahead of the critical election that will determine the balance of power in the Senate. If Democrats win both races, they will take control of the Senate.
The campaign trip, which is Biden’s first in six weeks, will feature both candidates as well as Stacey Abrams and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a campaign official said.
Dec. 15, 202004:12
During the event, Biden plans to underscore what’s at stake for the country in the midst of a worsening pandemic, a transition official said.
“The president-elect will echo his message of unity and a battle for the soul of the nation that led to him getting 81 million votes across the country — more than any presidential candidate in history — and becoming the first Democrat in decades to win the state of Georgia during a presidential election,” the official said.
If Democrats retake control of the Senate, Biden will be more likely to accomplish more of his agenda since Democrats also hold the House majority. If Republicans retain control of the upper chamber, however, Biden will have a more difficult path to getting things done under a divided government.
The Biden team has invested $5 million in the Democrats’ runoff effort and have also helped them raise another $10 million for their campaigns.
In other transition news:
- Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will hold a virtual roundtable Tuesday with Democratic attorneys general.
- President Donald Trump has no public events Tuesday.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Biden’s victory, sending him a “congratulatory telegram” that wished the incoming president well and said he hoped the two could forge a successful working relationship, according to a statement on the Kremlin’s website.
- During a video call with grassroots supporters Monday night, Biden revealed that he has a cold, which is why his voice sounded raspier than usual in his speech about the Electoral College. He also said during the call that seven senior GOP senators have called him saying that they want to work with him. He added that some had reached out for him after the Electoral College vote was made official.
- Rep. Paul Mitchell of Michigan, who is retiring, said Monday that he is leaving the GOP and is becoming an independent because Republicans have not challenged Trump’s attempts to overturn the election.
- Trump announced on Twitter Monday evening that Attorney General William Barr will step down later this month.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
