(CNN) The special election for Georgia's sixth district is on its way to being the single most expensive House race in American history, according to calculations made by Politico .

If all current TV ad reservations are completed, the pricetag for the race between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff will be $29.7 million -- eclipsing the $24.4 million spent on TV advertising in the 2012 Florida 18th district race between Rep. Allen West (R) and Patrick Murphy (D), according to stats provided by the Center for Responsive Politics . (In 2016, the most expensive House race was for Speaker Paul Ryan's 1st district, with a cost of $21.3 million .)

That is a massive amount of money to be one of 435 House members. And, if Ossoff wins, to be a member of the minority party no less.

Why the incredibly high pricetag? A confluence of factors:

t: Georgia's sixth district is covered by the Atlanta media market. While not as expensive as the New York City or Washington, D.C. media markets, Atlanta is still an expensive place to buy television ads. ( Atlanta is the 10th biggest media market in the country .) That means that if a candidate or campaign committee or super PAC wants to make a real impression with voters in the district, they are talking about a multi-million dollar investment.

Ossoff's massive fundraising: In the first three months of 2017, Ossoff, a political unknown prior to this year, raked in $8.3 million -- an unheard of sum in a House race. That huge haul was due in large part to the fact that Ossoff became a sort of cause célèbre for liberal donors trying to send a message to President Donald Trump. : In the first three months of 2017, Ossoff, a political unknown prior to this year, raked in $8.3 million -- an unheard of sum in a House race. That huge haul was due in large part to the fact that Ossoff became a sort of cause célèbre for liberal donors trying to send a message to President Donald Trump. Ninety five percent of donors to Ossoff through March 29 came from outside of the state of Georgia

The polls: This is a very close race. Both : This is a very close race. Both public and private polling suggests that it is, as of today, a true tossup. Which means that moving a point or two either way could make a huge difference. The prospect of being the deciding voice in a race with this much national import attracts all sorts of outside spending on both sides of the aisle.

* The calendar: The free-for-all primary -- in which Ossoff and Handel finished one-two -- was on April 18. The one-on-one runoff isn't until June 20. That two-month gap between votes is unusual (runoffs tend to be held closer to the first vote) and allows candidates and national parties to raise and spend vast sums that they wouldn't be able to do in a shorter time frame. It's also worth noting that there simply aren't a whole lot of races happening right now -- meaning that if you want to spend money somewhere, Georgia is the only game in town.

* The stakes: This is probably the most important factor of all. Both national parties see this race as a must-win because of the impact a loss would have on their national message. For Democrats, an Ossoff win -- in a district considered safely Republican for decades -- would provide a major momentum boost and help not only with their fundraising but also with their candidate recruitment for 2018. Republicans see a Handel win as evidence that despite the talk of Trump dragging their candidates down, there's no proof he will.

You combine all of those factors and you get an extremely expensive House race. The most expensive House race ever.</s>Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events The Georgia 6th Congressional District special election to replace now-Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price was already looking like a referendum on President Trump. With millions of dollars pouring into the race on both sides, the contest between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel seemed tailor-made to measure the demographic shifts in wealthy suburbs and the staying power of the Trump message.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Washington Post.</s>Next month, Republican Karen Handel will square off against Democrat Jon Ossoff in a runoff to replace former Georgia congressman Tom Price, who resigned when he was appointed Donald Trump’s health and human services secretary. Handel and Ossoff were the top two finishers in an all-party primary, in which Ossoff received 48 percent, outperforming Hillary Clinton’s 46 percent in the district.

One thing is for sure: the Georgia special election is set to be the most expensive House race in history. Both Republicans and Democrats are slated to pour tens of millions into the campaign over the next month.

Candidates and outside groups have aired or reserved more than $29.7 million worth of TV ads in the race to replace Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in Congress, which will break a five-year-old record for House spending — highlighting the outsize importance a sliver of the Atlanta suburbs has taken on in national politics. It is plainly more money than one House race out of 435 needs. Cash is flowing in at such saturation levels that Democrat Jon Ossoff’s campaign had the money for everything from Korean radio ads to free Lyft rides for voters on primary day. The Atlanta NBC station has even bumped reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show” from their regular slot in order to extend its local newscasts and make more room for political ads.

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Ossoff’s campaign is being propelled by small-dollar donations, mostly from outside of the district. He’s tapped into the progressive anger over President Donald Trump’s election and effectively nationalized the race.

Meanwhile, President Trump had a fundraiser for Handel that raised hundreds of thousands for her campaign. House Speaker Paul Ryan has also stepped up for Handel by raising hundreds of thousands more. In addition, House Republicans’ Congressional Leadership Fund plans on dumping $8.5 million into the race, which has set a new record for outside spending.

Why is this race so important? For starters, it already is a defeat for Republicans. The fact that Ossoff got 48 percent of the vote in what was a deeply red district means that Republicans are vulnerable nationwide. Progressives are as energized now as the tea party was in 2010.

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This district is also important because it’s a must-win for Democrats if they plan on taking back the House of Representatives in 2018. Georgia’s Sixth is a suburban enclave of Atlanta that is trending younger and has had an influx of minority voters. If Democrats cannot win here, they will have a tough time flipping other Republican seats.

The battle in Georgia’s special election will go down to the wire, but one thing is for sure: neither party is leaving anything on the table.</s>Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff arrives with Alisha Kramer to greet supporters at a campaign office on April 15, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. After 12 years, Jon Ossoff, a Democrat running to fill Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price's now empty House seat, is finally engaged to Alisha Kramer, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Washington Post.</s>A planned May 21 Dunwoody Homeowners Association 6th Congressional District debate between Karen Handel and Jon Ossoff is off the table after Handel declined to participate.

DHA President Robert Wittenstein said at the May 7 meeting that he received a “hard no” from the Handel campaign due to a scheduling conflict.

Ossoff, who was at the DHA meeting to make a pitch to voters, said he was ready to debate. Candidates seeking office are invited to speak at DHA meetings.

Wittenstein did express skepticism of Handel’s reason for backing out of the debate.

“I heard [May 7] from the Handel campaign that they are not going to accept our invitation; the reason that they gave was they a scheduling conflict,” Wittenstein told about a dozen DHA board members who booed when they heard there was not going to be a debate.

“But the email exchange just prior to that was …their question of whether or not [the debate] would be open to the public or if it was going to be restricted to Dunwoody residents or members of the DHA,” he said. “When I told them it would be open to the public, the next response was we have a scheduling conflict.”

Added Wittenstein, “It is unclear to me if they have a scheduling conflict or whether the fact there was no vetting of who is coming determined they would not participate. But they gave us a hard no.”

Wittenstein said he has offered the Handel two other dates in June but has not heard back. The election is June 20.

A request for comment from Handel’s campaign was not immediately responded to.

Wittenstein said it “stinks” that it appeared there would be no debate because he looked forward to questioning Ossoff.

“Hey, man, I’m available,” Ossoff said. “Always up for it.”

When Wittenstein asked if he could put Ossoff on the spot and ask him a question, Ossoff said, “Go for it.”

Wittenstein then asked Ossoff about his talk of non-partisanship and asked him to name something Donald Trump has suggested or done that he supports.

“Well, he’s suggested a major infrastructure bill. I think we know now more than ever here in metro Atlanta that we urgently need renewal and transformation of our infrastructure.

“If there is a fiscally responsible infrastructure package that can deliver the solution metro Atlanta needs to keep growing our local economy then I’ll work on a bipartisan basis to support it,” Ossoff said.

“I don’t care about personalities attached to it or the party of those trying to move it forward,” he said.

Watch Ossoff’s pitch at the DHA meeting below:</s>Karen Handel, the Georgia Republican running in a special congressional election, insists her constituents should be angry over a federal judge's decision to let more people register to vote in a June runoff. U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten, who was nominated by former GOP President George W. Bush to the federal bench, ruled last week that Georgia had to extend its voter registration deadline until May 21 for the runoff contest between Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Switched.</s>Democrat Jon Ossoff, who is running for an open congressional seat in Georgia, is calling for a special prosecutor to “investigate Russian interference” following President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey.

“Comey’s firing raises severe questions. There should be bipartisan support for a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference,” Ossoff wrote on Twitter Tuesday night.

Other lawmakers have called for a special prosecutor or independent commission to investigate any ties between Trump’s campaign staff and Russia in the wake of Comey’s firing. Rep. Justin Amash Justin AmashPelosi threatens to force vote on outside Russia probe Progressive group urges senators to support independent commission on Russia Vulnerable House Republican calls for 'independent investigation' after Comey firing MORE (R-Mich.) on Tuesday said his staff is “reviewing legislation to establish an independent commission on Russia.”

Trump on Tuesday fired Comey, saying in a letter that it was time for “a new beginning” at the FBI.

Both Republicans and Democrats were outraged by the firing of Comey, who had been leading the bureau’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s potential ties to Russia.

Democrats see the race for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District as a referendum on Trump’s presidency.

Ossoff, who is running for the seat vacated by Health and Human Service Secretary Tom Price in a historically red district, will face Republican Karen Handel in a runoff election on June 20.</s>A super PAC aligned with the House Republican leadership and Speaker Paul Ryan Paul RyanHow low can you go? Overnight Finance: Ryan taking tax reform pitch on the road | Senate panel asks Treasury for Trump financial info | New federal spending tracker | Commerce chief downplays 3-percent growth goal Yates, media apparent partners in the effort to ignore criminal leaks aimed at Trump MORE (R-Wis.) released a new ad Tuesday attacking Democrat Jon Ossoff for raising most of his campaign cash from out-of-state donors in the runoff to fill an open U.S. House seat in Georgia.

The Congressional Leadership Fund’s (CLF) first ad in the runoff period ahead of Ossoff’s June 20 race against Republican Karen Handel casts the Democrat as an ally of San Francisco liberals such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The CLF ad features an array of young liberals thanking Georgians for supporting Ossoff.

“Hi Georgia, Nancy Pelosi just wanted to say thank you,” says one woman wearing an Ossoff-Pelosi T-shirt.

“We already have Nancy Pelosi as our congresswoman, now you’re going to give us Jon Ossoff as our congressman,” says a man with pigtail braids.

“We’re proud that California is the leading funder of the Jon Ossoff campaign,” says another. “We’re really excited that Jon Ossoff likes paying higher taxes.”

They go on to accuse Ossoff and Pelosi of seeking to weaken the military and failing to take ISIS seriously.

"ISIS?" says a woman wearing a floppy hat and a "Cut the military now!" button. "They're overrated."

“San Francisco loves them some Jon Ossoff,” a man in the ad concludes.

Federal Election Commission reports show that about 95 percent of Ossoff’s campaign contributions have come from outside of Georgia.

The race to replace Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price in Georgia’s sixth district has attracted national attention. Money is pouring in from outside groups on both sides in a race that is viewed as an early referendum on President Trump.

Republicans look to beat back the challenge from Ossoff in a traditionally red district, where the outcome will be seen as a bellwether for the 2018 midterm battle over control of the House.

Those factors have contributed to making it one of the most expensive House races in history.

The CLF alone spent more than $3 million against Ossoff before the special election in mid-April, and will invest another $3.5 million during the run-off period.</s>“Republican anxiety is mounting about a runoff election in a typically red Georgia House district—a race that will offer an early test of Democratic motivation just weeks after Donald Trump’s health care repeal bill passed the House,” McClatchy reports.

“Republicans in Washington and Georgia acknowledge that a GOP loss in the special election runoff between Karen Handel (R) and Jon Ossoff (D) is a distinct possibility, a development that would harden the narrative that Republicans face a daunting task in maintaining control of Congress in 2018… Interviews with a half-dozen Republican operatives and strategists familiar with the race reveal a recognition that Democrats have enthusiasm on their side.”</s>Since 2010, Illinois' 10th Congressional district has flip-flopped multiple times between Republican Bob Dold and Democrat Brad Schneider.On Tuesday, Republican Jeremy Wynes, 37, of Highland Park, kicked off his campaign to unseat Schneider, who currently holds the seat.Wynes is seeking the Republican nomination in the race because Dold has decided not to run against Schneider again.The 10th district includes the northern suburbs and is known to elect independent candidates.Wynes said he wants to be a new voice in a district that often votes policy over party."I don't feel the current congressman representing the district in true spirit of the 10th where you are not beholden to party bosses, you bring your own ideas and your fresh independent voice," Wynes said.Similar to Dold, Mark Kirk and John Porter, the Republicans that have held the seat since 1980, Wynes is fiscally conservative but socially moderate."I'm pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, so I think those are issues where I am perhaps an anomaly within with elected leadership in Washington dc on my side of aisle," Wynes said.Wynes said he doesn't agree with President Donald Trump on immigration or trade policies and Wynes said he would have voted against the Republican's American Health Care Act.With 9 years of experience working for the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, Wynes believes his biggest strength is foreign policy."Once the campaign is going and I'm out every day talking about issues, I think the folks of the 10th will see that cannot pigeon hole me as a Trump Republican," Wynes said.In a written statement released this afternoon, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider said his focus is serving the people of the 10th district.He said there will be plenty of time for campaigns next year and he looks forward to a rigorous debate.As it has in the past, the race is likely to be one of the most competitive and one of the most expensive in the country.
The election between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel to replace the seat vacated by Tom Price becomes the most expensive congressional race in United States history.