Georgia race: Sigh of relief for GOP on health care

Tuesday's contest, which drew national interest, was the most expensive House race ever costing both sides more than $50 million, almost twice the previous record.

The race had been framed by some as a referendum on Trump and his agenda, and the win may ease any GOP fears - for now - that its base wouldn't stay engaged heading into the 2018 midterms. Her triumph tonight was unexpected in many quarters - she had been hampered in the primary by the presence of several viable GOP candidates, all of whom were competing for the same funding and the district's reliable red votes. A super PAC backed by Ryan spent $7 million alone; the national GOP's House campaign arm added $4.5 million. For a party still smarting from somehow losing a 2016 presidential race that was well within their grasp, they have to feel the need to do some soul-searching and figure out why their strategies aren't resulting in actual wins.

The result no doubt comes as relief for Republicans who had grown concerned about whether their party, buffeted by the scandals that have plagued the Republican president, could hold the seat in Georgia's sixth district that became the most expensive congressional race in United States history. And there was no mention from him that the Democrats have already suffered defeats in Kansas and Montana this year. If the Republican, Karen Handel, emerges victorious, it will in part reflect the shortcomings of her Democratic opponent, Jon Ossoff.

What can we learn from the Georgia race? "All the Fake News, all the money spent = 0", he said.

The race seemed to have tightened in the closing days. One would think this was the most significant race in the history of Congress. He said that he wants to return to the Sixth District after she graduates from the medical school. Fantastic job, we are all very proud of you!' tweeted Trump, who had publicly implored Republicans to troop to the polls to back Handel. Ossoff had said that he lives in the neighboring Fourth District so that his fiancee, who is an Emory University medical student, can walk to the hospital where she works.

Handel also did something she rarely - if ever - did on the campaign trail: She thanked Trump, eliciting rowdy cheers and chants of the president's name from the crowd. Republican Ralph Norman beat Democrat Archie Parnell by around 3 percentage points in SC, closer than expected and a warning sign to the GOP not to take any seat for granted. In that contest, Republican Ralph Norman beat Democrat Archie Parnell by just about 3 points to succeed Trump's Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.

Trump's party also claimed victory in another congressional race Tuesday, in neighboring SC.

"It makes it a heck of a lot harder", said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who unsuccessfully challenged Pelosi in a leadership election last fall.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on January 21 in protest of Trump's inauguration. But it wasn't what Democrats who pumped $23 million into Ossoff's campaign so desperately craved: "A win".

Jon Ossoff's Instagram account is full of pictures of him giving speeches, meeting voters and volunteers of his campaign, talking to crowds, and visiting the district.

If Handel had lost, the panic and hand-wringing on the Republican side may have been too much for the party to overcome to pass any substantial legislation.

One reason for the attention on the Georgia race may be that the seat was previously held by Newt Gingrich before Price took over, and it has been a Republican district since 1979.

Democrats must defend their current districts and win 24 Republican-held seats to regain a House majority next November.

Both the Georgia and SC districts feature resignations by Republicans Congressmen who took positions in the Donald Trump administration.