Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang coming to Columbus before Senate runoffs
Entrepreneur and former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang will be in Columbus for a Dec. 6 event ahead of the state’s two U.S. Senate runoffs.
The event serves as a kick-off for the Muscogee County Democratic Party’s campaign efforts before the Jan. 5 election. Democratic hopefuls Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock look to unseat Republican U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively.
If Warnock and Ossoff are victorious, there would be a 50-50 split in the U.S. Senate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would cast tie-breaking votes, effectively giving Democrats a majority.
The event will be held outdoors behind the Columbus Civic Center at 1 p.m. Yang’s presence in Columbus will hopefully motivate younger voters and other key groups to return to the polls, said Laura Walker, the county’s party chair.
“He is really here in Georgia to help empower the organizations that are already working on the ground,” Walker said.
Yang has been spending a lot of time in Georgia to help Ossoff and Warnock win their races. The former presidential candidate co-founded the #WinBothSeats initiative. The organization raises money for “Black and Brown-led organizers focused on voter turnout” ahead of the senate races. Other co-founders include Martin Luther King III and comedian Kumail Nanjiani.
This story was originally published November 29, 2020 at 5:43 PM.