In the U.S. U.S. Senate election in Georgia, Democratic Rep. Jon Ossoff was predicted to be likely to be re-elected. By winning against Republican candidate Mike Collins, the Democratic Party has further strengthened its base in Georgia, a key battleground state.
Ossoff, who is considered the next generation of the Democratic Party, defined Collins as a person loyal to a "failed president" and made the issue of the rising cost of living a key agenda in his campaign. Georgia is a state that supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Candidate Collins blamed former President Joe Biden for the rising cost of living and defended his support for Trump's war on Iran.
As opinion polls showed Ossoff with a stable lead, the Republican Party diverted the resources it had been investing in Georgia to other elections.
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When Ossoff's victory was predicted less than an hour after the polls closed, Georgia Democratic Party supporters who had gathered in Atlanta to watch the vote counting broadcast cheered and applauded.
Ossoff began his speech by thanking his family and Georgia voters for their support. When a shout of “I love you” came out from the cheering crowd, he responded, “I love you too.”
As he did during the campaign, he emphasized the economic hardships faced by ordinary Americans. He criticized big pharmaceutical companies and large corporations, and also mentioned suspicions of corruption in the White House.
“Now is not the time to return to the past, but an opportunity to reform,” he said. “As we celebrate tonight’s victory, we must also acknowledge that our republic remains in fundamental crisis. The most important work still lies ahead.”
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The Georgia Senate election is one of the major battles of the midterm election held on the 3rd, and is an election where victory was predicted relatively early. The results of this midterm election will determine which party, the ruling Republican Party or the opposition Democratic Party, will control Congress. The remainder of President Trump's term will also be affected by the results.
In the Republican Party, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who cannot run for a second term due to term limits, was considered a strong opponent to Ossoff, but declined to run.
Political commentators believed that Kemp did not run because he was conscious of Ossoff, who has emerged as the next generation of the Democratic Party. At the time, there were rumors that Ossoff was considering running for president in 2028.
Ossoff drew the line several times during the campaign, saying he had "absolutely no interest" in running for president.
He focused his campaign on the economy and the burden of living expenses. Exit polls also showed that this was the issue that many voters ranked as most important.
Ossoff repeatedly criticized Collins, a sitting U.S. congressman, for voting in favor of Trump's tariff policy. This policy has been pointed out as a factor that encouraged rising prices.
His victory was expected, but the Republican Party internally expected a close race. Georgia has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election by a narrow margin, but Donald Trump won again in 2024.
If Ossoff wins a landslide victory in Georgia, it can be seen as a signal foreshadowing the Democratic Party's overall performance. However, it is still too early to make a hasty conclusion.
This victory is expected to further strengthen the theory that Ossoff can run for president in 2028. Ossoff is considered one of the leading candidates if he runs for president.
Additional reporting: Daniel Bush
