Koch Latino group plays for Hispanic voters in Georgia

A Latino political advocacy group tied to billionaire mega-donor Charles Koch is calling on Georgia’s Hispanic voters to support Sen. David Perdue (R) in his upcoming Jan. 5 runoff against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff.

The Libre Initiative Action — the political arm of the Libre Initiative advocacy group — launched its call to support Perdue on Thursday.

President-elect Joe Biden won Georgia in the presidential election by a thin margin. Perdue also won more of the vote than Ossoff, but he failed to pass the 50 percent threshold needed to secure a victory under Georgia state law.

Hispanic voters make up about seven percent of the vote in Georgia.

“It is evident that Latinos are eager for a leader who will fight for their best interests by promoting policies that increase health care options and promote economic growth – creating opportunities, for all,” said David Casas, adviser for The Libre Initiative Action in Georgia.

“Sen. Perdue has been a strong voice and a persistent policy champion on behalf of communities in Georgia on these key priorities,” added Casas.

A second Senate runoff, between Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and the Rev. Raphael Warnock (D), will also take place Jan. 5.

The races will determine the Senate majority, though Democrats will have to win both to take control in a 50-50 Senate where Vice President-elect Kamala Harris could cast tie-breaking votes.

According to the NBC News Georgia exit poll, Latino voters in the state only slightly favored Ossoff in this month’s general election.

While 52 percent of the state’s Hispanics voted for the Democrat, 43 percent voted for Perdue, according to the poll.

“We look forward to leveraging our grassroots army of volunteers to encourage Latinos to support Sen. Perdue’s reelection to the U.S. Senate for Georgia so he can continue to champion policies that will help the Latino community, and all Georgians, prosper,” said Casas.