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Republican Karen Handel Wins Georgia Special Election

HeadlineJun 21, 2017

In Georgia, Republicans have pulled off a victory in the most expensive congressional race in history. In a special election in Georgia’s 6th District, Republican Karen Handel won nearly 53 percent of the vote, defeating her challenger, Democrat Jon Ossoff, to fill the seat left vacant after Tom Price resigned to become secretary of health and human services.

The candidates and outside groups spent more than $55 million on the race—a record-shattering amount. While the seat has been held by a Republican for decades, Democrats were hoping to pull off an upset in the suburban Atlanta district where President Trump’s approval rating is just 35 percent. This marks the fourth congressional race Democrats have lost since the election of Trump. This is Karen Handel speaking Tuesday night.

Rep.-elect Karen Handel “And a special thanks to the president of the United States.”

Crowd: “Trump! Trump! Trump!”

Karen Handel is the former secretary of state of Georgia. She made national headlines in 2012 when she led an effort at the breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.

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