<p>An 18-candidate &ldquo;jungle primary&rdquo; was held this Tuesday to determine who will represent Georgia&rsquo;s 6th Congressional District following Tom Price&rsquo;s appointment to the position of HHS Secretary.</p>
<p>Democrat Jon Ossoff (pictured above) came out on top with 48.1% of the vote, narrowly missing the 50% required to avoid a runoff challenge. He must now go head to head with Republican Karen Handel, who finished second-place with 19.8%. ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;No matter what the outcome is tonight, whether we take it al or we fight on, we have defied the odds, we have shattered expectations,&rdquo; said 30-year-old Ossoff Tuesday night as results were still in flux. ;</p>
<p>The vote marks a serious ;gain for Democrats in a district that has been red since New Gingrich was elected in 1978, but the runoff vote (which will take place in June) gives Republicans a chance to rally behind Handel.</p>
<p>President Trump sees the vote as a &#8216;big win&#8217; for the GOP. &ldquo;Despite major outside money, FAKE media support, and eleven Republican candidates, BIG &lsquo;R&rsquo; win with runoff in Georgia,&rdquo; he tweeted on Wednesday. ;</p>
<p>South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (R) is confident that Handel will pull through, but views Ossoff&rsquo;s victory as a sign that things are changing. &ldquo;This should be a wake-up call for the Republican Party in the South,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The South is changing. Atlanta is changing.&rdquo; Graham says the upcoming race will pit the &ldquo;liberal left versus mainstream Georgia.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Ossoff has already defied the odds in this long-held Republican seat, and it&rsquo;s clear that he has the enthusiasm and support he needs to be a very strong contender against Karen Handel in the runoff,&rdquo; says Ben Ray Lujá;n (D-NM), head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Not only are these results an indication of Ossoff&rsquo;s impressive grassroots campaign and powerful economic message, it&rsquo;s clear that voters strongly oppose Republican-controlled Washington and its priorities, and are ready to send more independent voices to Congress.&#8221;</p>
<p>Ossoff is ready for the challenge. &ldquo;There is no amount of dark money, super PAC, negative advertising that can overcome real grass-roots energy like this. So bring it on,&rdquo; he said. ;</p>
<p>Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says that Democrats are &ldquo;deeply mobilized and very frightened.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;[Democrats are] very mobilized because they are terrified that Donald Trump means the end of their world. You&rsquo;ll see great intensity riots on college campuses, or marches, or protests, or special elections.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Dems poured ;an unprecedented ;$12+ million into Ossoff&rsquo;s campaign. He even received paid staffers from the House Democrats&rsquo; campaign arm.</p>
<p>Democrats view the special election as a sort of referendum on President Trump and believe the results will serve as an indicator for the 2018 midterm elections &ndash; where they will need to flip at least 24 seats to take the majority.</p>
<p><strong>Author&rsquo;s Note:</strong> This isn&rsquo;t a huge deal in the House. The GOP majority is secure, but a Republican win would signal support for the party and for President Trump. ;</p>
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