Collins urges voters to turn out in Georgia runoffs

Georgia Rep. Doug Collins (R) urged Republican voters to keep track of local election laws and turn out in two Senate runoffs in January amid concerns that some in the GOP will boycott the contests.

Speaking on John Catsimatidis’s radio show on WABC 770, Collins said it was imperative for voters to make sure that their votes would be tallied in the two races, which will pit Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) against Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock and Sen. David Perdue (R) against documentary filmmaker Jon Ossoff (D).

“Well I think the biggest thing in all of this is to focus on being involved in the election process. This election process showed that people had to be on guard, not just in the election time, but also in all times. If we see changes to how we administer absentee ballots, how we see changes administered to our voter rolls, people have to take advantage of that and watch that,” he said.

“Down here in Georgia, for people across the country, they need to know that these two Senate seats hold the key to Chuck Schumer not becoming the majority leader in the United States Senate, and we’ve got to do everything we can so we don’t see the backwards trail of undoing that Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi would want to do to what’s happened in the last four years,” he added, referencing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Collins faced off against Loeffler in the special election to serve the remainder of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s (R) term.

The remarks come as both Republicans and Democrats launch full court presses in Georgia in the battle for the Peach state’s two Senate seats. Outside groups have already spent tens of millions of dollars in ads there to boost their preferred candidates, and millions more is anticipated to be on the way before Jan. 5, the date of the two elections.

The runoffs have taken on outsized importance given the current 50-48 split in favor of the GOP in the next Senate. Should Democrats win both seats, they would take control of the Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as a possible tie-breaking vote.

However, Republicans have voiced concerns that false claims that the November presidential election and the runoffs will be rigged could persuade Republicans to boycott the January contests and depress GOP turnout, which would give Democrats an advantage.

President Trump, who lost Georgia to President-elect Joe Biden and is one of the loudest voices promoting claims of widespread voter fraud, is slated to visit the state next weekend and urged Republicans to turn out for Loeffler and Collins.

“[T]he 2020 Election was a total scam, we won by a lot (and will hopefully turn over the fraudulent result), but we must get out and help David and Kelly, two GREAT people. Otherwise we are playing right into the hands of some very sick people. I will be in Georgia on Saturday!” the president tweeted Friday.

No, the 2020 Election was a total scam, we won by a lot (and will hopefully turn over the fraudulent result), but we must get out and help David and Kelly, two GREAT people. Otherwise we are playing right into the hands of some very sick people. I will be in Georgia on Saturday! https://t.co/1ziqFq9S6O

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2020