U.S. Rep. Tom Price could be confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Donald Trump's health secretary within days, and the race to represent his affluent suburban Atlanta district could be an early test of the new president's popularity.
On paper, the district stretching from east Cobb to north DeKalb should be the GOP’s to lose. Price won a commanding victory for another two-year term in November with about 62 percent of the vote. But Hillary Clinton came within a whisker of winning the district, and Democrats hope they can consolidate behind a single candidate to land a spot in the runoff.
The field is set to boast several big-name Republicans along with at least three Democrats. But former congressional aide Jon Ossoff is commanding the lion’s share of the attention and fundraising dollars among the Democratic contenders.
The 29-year-old small business owner - he runs a firm specializing in anti-corruption investigations - told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he's lined up more than $250,000 in financial commitments from supporters. And he's raised more than $500,000 through the Daily Kos liberal advocacy site.
(A caveat: There's no way to independently verify the numbers until the candidates Federal Elections Committee reports them.)
He’s also benefited from being in a civil rights icon’s orbit. He was with Georgia Rep. John Lewis at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport over the weekend to protest Trump’s immigration policy, and Lewis has called on Democrats to pick Ossoff.
More: The race to replace Tom Price may be an early test of Trump's popularity
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