Biden to Campaign for Ossoff, Warnock Ahead of Georgia Runoffs

(Bloomberg) -- President-elect Joe Biden plans to visit Atlanta next week to campaign for the two Democratic Senate candidates in Jan. 5 runoffs that will determine control of the chamber.

Biden’s campaign announced the Dec. 15 trip in which the incoming president will stump for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

Polls indicate both Ossoff and Warnock are in tight races with Republican incumbents: Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.

Both parties are laser focused on the Georgia runoffs because the outcome will determine who controls the Senate. If Democrats manage to unseat both incumbents, the chamber would be split 50-50. Democrats will be able to set the agenda because Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be able to break any ties.

Republicans have opened up a fund-raising edge.

GOP donors gave $95 million to their party’s Senate political action committee and party committee between Election Day and Nov. 23, more than four times as much as the $18 million Democrats gave similar groups over the same period.

But the two Democrats drew much more in small-dollar, online donations than their rivals during that time, garnering enough money to stay competitive.

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