Biden urges Georgians to turn out for Senate runoffs 'so it’s not even close'

Joe Biden headed down to Georgia on Tuesday to stump for Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, hoping to win both Jan. 5 runoff elections to give Democrats control of the highest legislative chamber in the nation.

In his speech, at a drive-in rally in Atlanta, Biden urged fellow Democrats to “turn out the vote so it’s not even close."

“I know what we can do," he said. "I know what this country is capable of. I know the future we can build together.  Now it’s time to send Jon and Raphael to Washington to help me get it done.”

Biden opened his speech by thanking Georgians for making him the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the state since 1992 – although it took three recounts before the state certified the results.

I’m starting to feel like I won Georgia three times,” Biden said jokingly. “Georgia wasn’t going to be bullied. Georgia wasn’t going to be silenced. Georgia wasn’t going to stand by and let Donald Trump or the state of Texas – or anyone else – come here and toss out your votes.”

Warnock joined Biden, charging up the crowd when he declared: “I’m ready. We can do this. We’ve got big problems and big issues. That’s why we’ve got to stand together. Folks who have no vision traffic in division.”

Ossoff also addressed the gathering, saying Biden can't enact his agenda unless Democrats control the Senate.

“Georgia, we need to do right by Joe Biden,” Ossoff said. “We need to make sure Biden can pass his agenda. Because if [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell controls the Senate, they’re going to try to do to Joe and Kamala just like they tried to do to President Obama.”

The trip to Atlanta was Biden’s first campaign stop since the Electoral College on Monday certified his victory with 306 electoral votes to President Trump's 232. 

In the Senate runoffs, Warnock is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, while Ossoff faces off against incumbent Sen. David Perdue. If Democrats win both seats, the Senate will be split 50-50 between the two parties, which means Biden vice president, Kamala Harris, would have the tie-breaking vote.

The Trump campaign released a statement lauding the Republican candidates.

"Georgia Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are proven solid, conservative leaders, strong allies of President Trump, who deserve to be returned to Washington. As voters become engaged in the crucial January 5th runoff elections, keeping a Republican majority in the Senate is an important goal on which all Republicans should agree," said Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 communications director.

Team Trump also blasted the Democratic candidates.

"Their opponents, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, represent the left-most fringe of the Democrat Party and stand for higher taxes, the job-killing Green New Deal, gutting law enforcement, and granting amnesty to 11 million illegal aliens. That Joe Biden would campaign for them is further proof that he is utterly in the grip of the extreme left, which is the driving force in today’s Democrat Party," Murtaugh said.