Perdue, Ocasio-Cortez spar on Twitter over Georgia races

Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sparred Saturday over the upcoming Georgia Senate runoffs, with the progressive congresswoman urging Democrats to turn out to vote and the GOP senator pushing the liberal firebrand to go to Georgia and campaign in person.

The back-and-forth began after Ocasio-Cortez this week encouraged supporters in Georgia to vote for the two Democrats running in the Jan. 5 runoffs in order to help the party secure a Senate majority and advance progressive priorities such as a $15 minimum wage and expanded access to health care.

Perdue shared a report about Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks, adding, “Our offer still stands – come on down to Georgia, we’ll buy your ticket!”

The GOP senator had urged the progressive lawmaker to visit the state last month and campaign for his Democratic opponent, Jon Ossoff, telling Fox News then, “I want to buy her ticket. I want her to come.”

.@AOC, our offer still stands – come on down to Georgia, we’ll buy your ticket!https://t.co/tH3cxGlqGw

— David Perdue (@Perduesenate) December 12, 2020

Ocasio-Cortez fired back on Saturday in a tweet referencing scrutiny Perdue has faced this year surrounding his stock trades during the coronavirus pandemic, something Democrats have hoped will sway the race in favor of Ossoff.

“And what money are you going to buy that ticket with, Perdue? The curiously ‘well-timed’ stocks you’ve cashed in on while in office?” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

And what money are you going to buy that ticket with, Perdue?

The curiously “well-timed” stocks you’ve cashed in on while in office? https://t.co/oRqNuCQj7P

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 12, 2020

The Georgia senator pushed back, writing, “I thought ‘free’ stuff was your thing?”

“Either way, I’m in Georgia talking to voters. We’d love to have you,” he added.

I thought “free” stuff was your thing?

Either way, I’m in Georgia talking to voters. We’d love to have you. https://t.co/PCx28jVJzB

— David Perdue (@Perduesenate) December 12, 2020

Ocasio-Cortez has been campaigning in support of Georgia Democrats over the past several weeks, with her team reporting raising more than $600,000 for outside groups seeking to elect Ossoff and fellow Democratic Senate candidate the Rev. Raphael Warnock, according to Politico.

Additionally, other members of “the squad” of progressive congresswomen — Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — have reportedly worked to boost Muslim voter turnout in the state, including with robocalls, the newspaper reported.

Neither Ossoff nor Warnock backs “Medicare for All,” a top priority among those in the party’s liberal wing such as Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Still, progressives have joined efforts to boost the Georgia Democrats as part of a push by Democrats to secure a Senate majority and thereby total control of Congress.

“Bernie Sanders wants there to be a Democratic Senate. If we’re going to see any progress on Joe Biden’s pro-worker economic proposals, we need to have a Democratic Senate,” Jeff Weaver, Sanders’s longtime adviser, told Politico.

Democrats would need to win both Senate races in order to hold a majority in the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting tiebreaking votes. However, Republicans would maintain their narrow majority if at least one of the Georgia GOP candidates, Perdue or Sen. Kelly Loeffler, pulls out a win.