Columbus as a battleground? What Kamala Harris’ visit means to Democrats, Republicans
Gladys Ford, 78, remembers when it took years for Columbus to appear on interstate signs as drivers left Atlanta in the rearview mirror. But things have changed ahead of historic elections.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ stop on Monday showed the city’s increasing importance under Georgia’s newly minted battleground status. Two U.S. Senate runoffs will determine the balance of power in the chamber, and operatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties have their attention on cities outside of the state’s capital.
Harris’ visit capped a recent string of Columbus appearances by national political figures ahead of the Jan. 5 elections, and more could follow in the coming weeks. Ford, who’s lived here since 1971, said Columbus hasn’t seen this kind of attention before.
“And I still think we’re not getting enough,” she said.
‘Everything is at stake’
Harris spoke for roughly 20 minutes to a crowd gathered in the parking lot near the Bibb Mill Event Center, thanking volunteers and Democratic supporters for helping deliver Georgia to President-elect Joe Biden. It’d been nearly three decades since a Democrat carried the state in a presidential election.
But Harris came with another request — elect Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. Without victories in these runoffs, Republicans maintain the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, and the Biden and Harris agenda is much more limited.
“You did what no one thought could be done, and you made a statement,” Harris said. “Thank you for what you did. And, of course, no good thank you comes without asking for a little bit more. ... Everything is at stake.”
Issue groups and candidates from both parties have poured millions into the twin Senate runoffs. Republicans have made a concerted push in Columbus to get their message out to voters. Since Nov. 3, more than $27 million has been spent in the Columbus media market. Republicans are outspending Democrats $21.3 million to $6.2 million, according to data provided to the Ledger-Enquirer by AdImpact, a media tracking firm. This includes pre-booked ads.
Despite feuding between President Donald Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp over the state’s November election, national surrogates have come to town on behalf of Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Vice President Mike Pence held a rally at the Columbus Airport last week. Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw spoke at a rally at Chattabrewchee Southern Brewhouse Saturday along with Republican State Sen. Randy Robertson and U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson.
During that rally, Robertson said the party doesn’t have to agree all of the time, but they will come together ahead of this important election. The money and effort spent in Columbus is meant to turn the razor-thin margins statewide back towards the GOP.
“I think if you’re looking on the short side, we’re spending millions and millions of dollars for a few votes,” he said. “But we’re spending millions and millions of dollars to save the country that Benjamin Franklin and all of our forefathers put together. This is much, much more than just getting a few votes.”
Ferguson, whose district includes portions of north Columbus, said that there are thousands of voters in smaller communities and mid-sized cities that get overlooked.
“Everybody looks at a population center like Atlanta and assumes that’s the only game in town,” he said. “We’re leaving no stone unturned. It is vitally important that Republicans show up to vote.”
‘Our county is big enough to make a huge difference’
Laura Walker, chair of the Muscogee County Democratic Party, parked her car in the front row of the Harris’ drive-in rally Monday. Sitting in her front seat, she said she sees the runoffs this way — Columbus will be a deciding factor in the race because both parties have room for improvement and the potential to gain votes.
Democrats outside of the presidential race did not perform as well as Biden. The president-elect defeated Trump by about 19,500 votes in Muscogee County. Ossoff, however, carried Columbus by a little more than 17,000. There were nearly 131,000 registered voters ahead of the November election, and a little over 61% turned out, according to data from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office and the Muscogee County elections board.
“The Republicans did not do as well here as they anticipated,” Walker said. “Muscogee County is definitely a blue county. However, Muscogee County Democrats’ turnout is not necessarily as high as it is in other areas.”
Walker said Harris’ decision to speak at the Columbus rally hours before she was scheduled to vote on a new COVID-19 relief deal speaks volumes to the city’s importance.
“Our county is big enough to make a huge difference,” she said.
Columbus State Rep. Carolyn Hugley said Democratic organizing efforts and Harris’ visit could neutralize the Republican’s spending advantage in the area. Democratic voters, she said, would be even more motivated to turn out following the rally.
“People were dying to get to this event today,” Hugley said.
Harris took the stage after Warnock and Ossoff spoke to the gathered crowd. Rally attendees slammed down on their car horns as the vice president-elect appeared. She called for a repeat of November’s outcome.
“Years from now, our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes ... and ask us where you were in that moment in time,” Harris said. “We will tell them we elected the next senators to the United States Senate.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 4:16 PM.