The Republican Party chairman in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District believes last week’s baseball practice shooting — which left House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) critically injured — is a good luck charm for the GOP.
Chairman Brad Carver said over the weekend that the attack in Alexandria, Virginia, will lead independents and moderates to vote for Republican Karen Handel over Democrat Jon Ossoff, both of whom are running in a special election to fill the House of Representatives seat in the neighboring 6th Congressional District vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
“I’ll tell you what: I think the shooting is going to win this election for us,” Carver told The Washington Post. “Because moderates and independents in this district are tired of left-wing extremism. I get that there’s extremists on both sides, but we are not seeing them.
“We’re seeing absolute resistance to everything this president does,” he continued. “Moderates and independents out there want to give him a chance. Democrats have never given this president a chance.”
The shooting, which injured Scalise, two Capitol Police officers, a congressional staffer, and a lobbyist, was carried out by a former volunteer on Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I) presidential campaign. And one super PAC backing Handel has tried to tie Ossoff to the assault.
The Principled PAC released a 30-second ad over the weekend claiming the violence from the left will continue to escalate if Ossoff wins the special election. Both campaigns have condemned the ad, calling it “disgraceful” and “disturbing and disgusting.”
Ultimately, Carver said he thinks the election will “be close,” but he’s confident Republicans will “win it.”
“And I really do think the congressional baseball shooting is going to decide the election,” he said.
Earlier this month, the race between Ossoff and Handel became the most expensive House race in U.S. history. Voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide between the two candidates.