Top Congressional Republicans to campaign in Georgia ahead of Senate runoffs

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A number of high-profile Republicans -- including GOP Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Tim Scott -- are expected to campaign in Georgia this month as part of a Club for Growth bus tour in support of GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler ahead of the Jan. 5 runoffs.

The Club for Growth Action PAC announced details of their upcoming “Save America Bus Tour,” which will run from Dec. 11 through Dec. 21 and will focus on encouraging Republicans in Georgia to vote in the Senate runoffs next month.

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Cruz, R-Texas; Lee, R-Utah, and Scott, R-S.C., are expected to participate in the bus tour, as well as a number of incoming senators, including Sen.-elect Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Sen.-Elect Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.

Other prominent Republicans who will participate include Reps. Jody Hice, R-Ga., Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Chip Roy, R-Texas, and a number of incoming freshman House lawmakers.

Meanwhile, in addition to the bus tour, Club for Growth Action is spending $10 million on GOTV activities, media, and mail, vowing to knock on 1 million doors, and further educate the public about policy positions of Perdue and Loeffler.

The efforts are separate from those being led by the Republican National Committee, which has committed to spending at least $20 million in Georgia ahead of the runoffs, and has sent more than 500 staffers and thousands of volunteers to the state to campaign.

The current balance of power for the next Senate coming out of this month’s elections is 50 Republicans and 48 Democrats. That means Democrats must win both of Georgia’s runoff elections to make it a 50-50 Senate. If that occurs, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the tie-breaking vote, giving her party a razor-thin majority in the upper chamber.

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In Georgia, state law dictates a runoff if no candidate reaches 50% of the vote. Last month, GOP Sen. David Perdue narrowly missed avoiding a runoff, winning 49.75% of the vote. His Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff trailed by roughly 87,000 votes.

In the other race, appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler captured nearly 26% of the vote in a whopping 20-candidate special election to fill the final two years of the term of former GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson. The Democratic candidate in the runoff, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, won nearly 33% of the vote in the first round.

Meanwhile, President Trump said he plans to travel to Georgia on Dec. 5 to campaign for Loeffler and Perdue. Saturday will be Trump's first trip to the state to campaign for the candidates. Vice President Mike Pence stumped for Loeffler and Perdue before Thanksgiving.