Perdue declines to participate in debate with Ossoff ahead of Georgia Senate runoff

Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) will not participate in a debate with Jon Ossoff, his Democratic challenger in one of two Georgia Senate races headed for a runoff in January, the incumbent’s campaign said.

Perdue’s campaign informed the Atlanta Press Club, which was set to host a debate early next month, that the senator would not attend, according to CNN.

The Democratic challenger took aim at Perdue following news that he had declined to participate, dubbing him “David ’empty podium’ Perdue.”

David “empty podium” Perdue https://t.co/bARdzKVQvm

— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) November 16, 2020

“The runoff in Georgia is an extension of the November 3rd general election, where 52 percent of Georgians voted against Jon Ossoff and his radical agenda. Perdue had a commanding first place win, outpacing Ossoff by over 85,000 votes — in nearly every other state, Perdue would have been re-elected already,” Perdue’s campaign manager told CNN in a statement.

Perdue led Ossoff by fewer than 100,000 votes following an initial tally in Georgia.

Georgia’s two Senate seats could decide the balance of power in the Senate, as a 50-50 split would give the deciding vote to the incoming vice president, Kamala Harris.

President-elect Joe Biden (D) holds a narrow lead over President Trump in Georgia, which is set to conduct a hand recount of presidential ballots. The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the race, although other news outlets had projected the former vice president as the victor in Georgia.  

–Updated at 9:50 a.m.