$40+ Million Has Been Spent In Georgia’s Record-Breaking Special Election

More than $40 million in total campaign and independent expenditures has been spent in the record-breaking special election in Georgia, according to Federal Election Commission filings. “The race between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel is the most expensive congressional race in history, easily overtaking Florida 18’s 2012 election, which cost $29.5 million,” Sara Swann, of the Center for Responsive Politics, said in an analysis of the race released Monday. “But this race has taken on sort of an outsized impact because it is the only race that the Democrats seem to be focusing on.”

Campaign finance filings show that as of May 31, Democrat Jon Ossoff had raised more than $23 million since entering the race to replace Rep. Tom Price, who vacated the seat to become secretary of Health and Human Services. Though Georgia’s 6th district, which includes the suburbs of Atlanta, is a traditionally conservative area, Ossoff’s loss is still crushing for Democrats, who have so far been unable to translate anti-Trump sentiment into tangible political gains, including in two other close special elections in deep-red Kansas and Montana districts.
The amount of money spent for all candidates, $56 million, sets a new record for a U.S. House of Representatives seat. The previous record was $29.5 million, set in a 2012 Florida race.