Georgia GOP Election Official Blames Trump And Marjorie Taylor Greene For Senate Loss

Topline

Georgia voting systems manager Gabriel Sterling (R) is blaming President Donald Trump and some of his supporters—including controversial new freshman Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene—for the GOP losing both Georgia Senate runoffs, noting Republican turnout dropped drastically across the state after Trump’s continued false claims of voter fraud—especially in an area where some of his strongest supporters live.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“The drop off in GOP turnout from Nov to Jan was driven by Trump and most prominently in areas represented by Doug Collins and Marjorie Taylor Greene,” Sterling said. “These folks cost the GOP two senate seats and  control of the Senate. Giving Biden and Dems a free hand.”

Key Background

Both of the Republican Senate incumbents—Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue—lost to Democratic challengers in what had for years been a reliably red state (President-elect Joe Biden was the first Democratic nominee to carry Georgia since 1992). The loss of both seats was enough to flip control of the Senate from the GOP to Democrats, given there is a 50-50 split between the parties in the chamber and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serves as the tie breaking vote. That means for the first time in more than a decade, Democrats will soon have control of both houses of Congress and the presidency.

What To Watch For

According to The New York Times, state prosecutors in Georgia will likely open a criminal investigation into Trump to determine whether he violated law through his efforts to overturn the state’s election results.

Further Reading

Georgia GOP Officials Slam Election Conspiracy Theories: ‘Exploiting The Emotions’ Of Trump Supporters (Forbes)

Atlanta Prosecutor Appears to Move Closer to Trump Inquiry (The New York Times)