AJC Poll: Democrats high on Ossoff heading into tough election
More Democrats are saying they approve of U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s job performance while his support among Republicans, already low, has not budged.
These results from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s latest poll of likely Georgia primary voters come as Ossoff seeks a second term in office. U.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter and former football coach Derek Dooley are seeking the GOP nomination to challenge him in November.
Among Republicans polled, just 20% said they strongly or somewhat approve of Ossoff’s job performance. That was the same result as when the question was asked last November.
Among Democrats, however, the percentage of respondents who said the approved of the way Ossoff is doing his job jumped from 79% to 89%.
Conyers resident Pat Grant said Ossoff is juggling the demands of the office and his campaign artfully.
“He’s doing a considerable amount of campaigning and staying on task and staying on the subjects that the voters are concerned with,” she said. “I think he’s doing a fantastic job in that regard.”
Effingham County voter Wade Watson has reached out to Ossoff’s office to share his thoughts on issues like tariffs and the discussion over whether to release files related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and says he always received some type of response. He believes Ossoff is in a strong position for reelection.
“I will be very shocked if he is in trouble,” Watson said.
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Democratic Senate: Democrats high on Ossoff heading into tough election
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FAQ: How the AJC polls Georgia voters
Poll archive: View past AJC poll results
An April poll from NetChoice and Echelon Insights showed Ossoff leading both Carter and Collins in hypothetical matchups. An Emerson College/Nexstar Media poll released in March found that Ossoff would best all three leading Republican candidates.
Yet about two-thirds of Republicans — 68% — said they either somewhat or strongly disapprove of Ossoff’s job performance. That virtually also the same result as the previous poll when 67% responded that way.
GOP voter Patrick Pieters, who lives in Canton, said he doesn’t like the way Ossoff or his counterpart, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, have handled their time in office.
“I’m not happy with him or the other senator,” Pieters said. “They’re too liberal for me.”
Kathleen resident Norman Hager said Ossoff has done more grandstanding than actual legislating, which is why he disapproves of the senator.
“I don’t think he’s done much,” he said, “except run his mouth.”
About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
