Obama targets Georgia's two top races with $0.01 cost to voters

Former President Barack Obama stood on the stage at Morrow’s Arena at Southlake on Wednesday to urge voters to back two specific candidates in Georgia. He addressed a crowd gathered to support U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms. The event took place in metro Atlanta just five days before Election Day.

Ossoff faces a challenge from U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, a Republican who has aligned closely with President Donald Trump. National Democrats view Ossoff’s Senate seat as a key battleground for maintaining their narrow majority in the chamber. Bottoms runs against Republican Rick Jackson to become Georgia’s 84th governor and the nation’s first Black female governor. Outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp is not seeking re-election.

Obama’s appearance follows a campaign stop by President Trump in Perry, Georgia, the previous week. Trump rallied support for Collins and other Republican candidates in the state. The timing places the two national leaders in direct competition for voter attention in the final week of the general election.

Obama’s visit is not the only high-profile event in the city this week. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to host a community town hall with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. She will also headline a fundraising event for Fulton County Democrats on Friday. These appearances add to the national focus on Georgia’s midterms.

Voters in Georgia can cast early ballots until this Friday. The general election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3. Both Ossoff and Bottoms are seeking to hold their respective offices against well-funded Republican opponents in a state that has become a central arena for national political strategy.