In Georgia, a mad sprint to capture the U.S. Senate

Judy Woodruff:

Meantime, so much of what Congress will prioritize in the new year does come down to control of the U.S. Senate. Lisa has also been reporting on the two Senate run-off races looming next month in the state of Georgia.

Today is the voter registration deadline for the elections that will determine the Senate majority.

Lisa Desjardins:

The nation's immediate future comes down to this, one month in one state, a mad sprint in Georgia. Democrats need to win both U.S. Senate run-offs in January in order to control the chamber. Republicans need to keep their base fired up.

President Donald Trump:

At stake in this election is control of the U.S. Senate, and that really means control of this country.

Lisa Desjardins:

President Trump, who spoke in Valdosta Saturday, may not be on the ballot, but he is a force in the race.

President Donald Trump:

It's rigged. It's a fixed deal.

Lisa Desjardins:

This weekend, as he campaigned for the Republican Senate incumbents, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, Mr. Trump falsely charged again that the state's election, which Joe Biden won, was illegitimate.

President Donald Trump:

You know, we won Georgia, just so you understand.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Buzz Brockway:

I am worried about it. It's a mixed message.

Lisa Desjardins:

Buzz Brockway is a Republican, and former Georgia state representative. He believes his party has the edge in both Senate races, but the president's message is confusing.

Buzz Brockway:

It's, hey, I want you to vote for the Republican candidates, Perdue and Loeffler, but the election was rigged and the machine stole — still flipped votes and absentee ballots were stolen.

So, I have heard from people. I have heard from dozens of people who say, I'm not going to vote. And I hope that that's just the emotion of the moment.

Lisa Desjardins:

More than emotion, it's a movement from some Trump supporters like Lin Wood, who, at a rally last week told Republicans to stay home.

Lin Wood:

Why would you go back and vote in another rigged election? For God's sake, Fix it. You got to fix it before we will do it again.

Raphael Warnock:

Are you ready to stand up one more time?

Lisa Desjardins:

Meantime, Democrats also are pinning their underdog hope to the same strategy that they believe won the state for Biden.

Stacy Abrams:

We won this election decisively.

Lisa Desjardins:

The effort, led by Stacey Abrams, to register new voters, especially voters of color, who are growing in Georgia.

Andra Gillespie is a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta.

Andra Gillespie:

Now Blacks make up about 30 percent of all registered voters in the state. And in the last decade, we have seen the number of — proportion of Asian-American and Hispanic voters double in the state.

Lisa Desjardins:

Gillespie says this contest is entirely about base turnout. Democrats are bringing in their superstars.

Andre Yang:

We got to win this thing.

Lisa Desjardins:

Former presidential hopeful Andrew Yang has literally moved to the state to help, and former President Barack Obama has campaigned virtually.

Former President Barack Obama:

The special election in Georgia is going to determine, ultimately, the course of the Biden presidency and whether Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can deliver legislatively all the commitments they have made.

Man:

Are you ready to organize?

Lisa Desjardins:

It is the enthusiasm fight.

Bill Nigut of Georgia Public Broadcasting:

Bill Nigut:

The circumstances here are unlike anything we have ever seen. We're close to having a million absentee ballots applied for in Georgia. That's only about 200,000, 300,000 fewer than at this time prior to the November 3 election.

Crowd:

Stop the steal! Stop the steal!

Lisa Desjardins:

To the Trump tornado, add multiple firestorms and attacks surrounding the candidates themselves. Incumbent Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, both former corporate CEOs, have faced headlines about their stock trades, Loeffler for trades she made after a senators-only briefing on the pandemic.

An Ethics Committee found no violations, but the issue has hovered over her. Perdue has been scrutinized for thousands of trades he made that involved companies his committee directly oversaw.

Republicans are just as sharply on attack. Example? Loeffler's words last night at a debate.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.:

My opponent, radical liberal Raphael Warnock, is a socialist.

Lisa Desjardins:

To this, her opponent, Democrat Raphael Warnock, the pastor at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, responded with an ad.

Raphael Warnock:

I think Georgians will see her ads for what they are and a simple gesture.

Don't you?

Lisa Desjardins:

Ads are part of a massive wave of cash again washing over the state.

Andra Gillespie:

It wouldn't be surprising to many people if this ended up being somewhere in the neighborhood of a half-a-billion-dollar race.

The fact that so much money is pouring into Georgia is evidence of how competitive these races are. I think if one party had a clear advantage over the other and it was very comfortable and substantial, we wouldn't see this level of spending.

Lisa Desjardins:

The intensity will keep rising, along with the money spent and the high-profile visits. President-elect Joe Biden says he plans to visit Georgia soon.

Among the complex issues here is timing. The Georgia run-offs are January 5. The new Senate begins January 3 — Judy.

Judy Woodruff:

So, Lisa, explain how that works.

And also, I mean, remind us what is on the line here in terms of America's future in how these races turn out.

Lisa Desjardins:

I cannot stress enough how every conversation I have with any kind of source, be it about housing, be it about the coronavirus, any conversation I'm having right now, people on or off the Hill, comes back to the Georgia election.

It affects everything, the direction of this country. It especially will affect the next round of coronavirus relief, which is one reason that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is OK with a smaller deal right now. They expect a bigger package and more stimulus next year. It will also affect any chance of climate change legislation, health care, all of it on the table right now in Georgia.

Judy Woodruff:

All eyes on Georgia, and they are going to continue to be until that run-off election takes place.

Lisa Desjardins, thank you for filling us in on both of these important stories.

Lisa Desjardins:

You're welcome.