GA Congressional representatives, past and present: on Principles & Values
Jon Ossoff:
Early campaign pledge: "Make Trump Furious"
One topic Ossoff diligently avoided: Trump. Ossoff jumped into the 6th District contest earlier with a pledge to "Make Trump Furious," but the
30-year-old political newcomer has since largely distanced himself from that rhetoric in a bid to win over independents and wobbly Republicans.
Overall, Republican Karen Handel aligned herself with the president when asked about the biggest items on his agenda, but she also indicated she wasn't afraid of disagreeing with him.
She backed the Trump's proposal to temporarily block visitors from six primarily Muslim Middle East nations, but was also was critical of Trump's constant social media use.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia House debate
Jun 6, 2017
Jon Ossoff:
Supported by national anti-Trump neophyte networks
Ossoff, one of 18 candidates on the special election ballot, was lifted from obscurity on a wave of local and national anti-Trump sentiment. He raised a jaw-dropping $8.3 million, more than quadruple the haul brought in by the next-best fund-raiser,
the Republican Dan Moody. Much of that money came from angry liberals outside Georgia hoping to send Trump a message at the ballot box.Locally, Ossoff was aided by formal and informal networks of progressives that sprouted and grew like mushrooms
after Trump's victory. Many participants were political neophytes and women who had taken part in the anti-Trump marches after the inauguration. Hundreds of highly motivated volunteers knocked on doors, wrote postcards to voters and drove them to the
polls.
Georgia's Sixth District, which encompasses a number of majority-white suburbs north of Atlanta, is home to a well-heeled professional class. Ossoff's r‚sum‚, if not necessarily his politics, is the type that would make any soccer mom proud.
Source: N.Y.Times on 2017 Georgia 6th House special election
Apr 19, 2017
Jon Ossoff:
Campaign slogan: Make Trump Furious
Though his campaign used the slogan "Make Trump Furious," Ossoff, in person, takes the opposite of a sound-and-fury approach. As a candidate, he tends to run more cool than hot, with a deliberative, professorial style somewhat similar to Barack Obama's.
He is unabashed about his support for traditional liberal causes, including abortion rights, but in television ads, he often emphasizes more anodyne positions, like fighting wasteful spending in Washington and creating more tech jobs at home.
Source: N.Y.Times on 2017 Georgia 6th House special election
Apr 19, 2017
Karen Handel:
2010: Resigned as Secretary of State to run for Governor
Handel is a former Georgia secretary of state and chair of the Fulton County Commission who has unsuccessfully run for governor and Senate. But in recent years, Handel is probably best known for her time at Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which ended after
her effort to get the organization to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.She's a longtime Georgia politician. She ran for Fulton County Board of Commissioners and lost in 2002, then won a special election in 2003. Next, she became Georgia
secretary of state in 2007, before resigning to run for governor in 2010, losing a Republican primary run-off despite Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney endorsements. She ran for Senate in 2014 and came in third in that primary. One of Handel's Republican
opponents in the 6th District special election used this record against her: "Over the last 15 years, Karen Handel has run six times for five different offices. She didn't even finish the jobs we did give her, always running for the next office."
Source: DailyKos on 2017 Georgia 6th House special election
Apr 19, 2017
Jon Ossoff:
Interned for Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Hank Johnson
Ossoff's interest in politics was first stirred as a 17-year-old student at the Paideia School when he read John Lewis' autobiography and was moved to ask the congressman for a job. That turned into an internship in the Atlanta Democrat's Washington
office. As a student at Georgetown University, Ossoff volunteered for Hank Johnson's 2006 campaign to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney. After Johnson's congressional victory, Ossoff worked as a legislative aide to the new congressman.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia 6th House race
Apr 18, 2017
Jon Ossoff:
Promises to move to 6th district after girlfriend graduates
Ossoff, a north DeKalb County native, does not reside in the 6th Congressional District, living just south of it so his girlfriend of 12 years, an Emory University medical student, can walk to work.
Members of Congress don't have to live in their districts, but Ossoff has said he will move to the 6th after she graduates.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 2017 Georgia 6th House race
Apr 18, 2017
Drew Ferguson:
My Christian faith guides all of my activities and beliefs
Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.Ferguson: I am Christian. My Christian faith guides all of my activities and beliefs.
Q: Considering all issues (social, economic, national security, etc.), which political philosophy best describes you?
Ferguson: Very Conservative
Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on Georgia House race
Nov 8, 2016
Page last updated: Aug 14, 2018