DFA Statement on Ossoff Loss in GA-06 Special Election
Democracy for America Chair Jim Dean on the Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff’s loss over Republican Karen Handel in the special election of Georgia’s 6th Congressional District:
“Tonight’s result is disheartening to everyone who volunteered to help put another Democrat in Congress. The unforced errors by the party leadership and the campaign present an important learning opportunity for everyone who wants to kick Republicans out of power in 2018.”
“Most candidates do not have the luxury of lighting millions of dollars on fire by spending close to $12 million on ads behind an uninspiring message. Defeating Republicans in districts that they have traditionally held requires doing something drastically different than establishment Democrats have done before -- specifically, running on a bold progressive vision and investing heavily in direct voter contact to expand the electorate. That’s what it will take to win districts like this one in 2018 and take back the House. The same, tired centrist Democratic playbook that has come up short cycle after cycle will not suffice.” - Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America
Democracy for America is a people-powered political action committee with 1 million members nationwide. Its members contributed more than $65,000 to Ossoff’s campaign, and DFA sent staff to the district for the final stretch of the campaign to help Get Out The Vote. Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $40 million and made more than 11.1 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.