SANDY SPRINGS, Ga., April 18 (Reuters) – For U.S. President Donald Trump, an off-year congressional election on Tuesday in the reliably Republican northern suburbs of Atlanta could spell trouble if Democratic upstart Jon Ossoff pulls off a surprise victory.

Watch MSNBC Morning Joe show hosts and guest attempt to contain their excitement over the possibility of a Democrat winning the seat of former House Leader Newt Gingrich and now, in a special election they are hoping to replace Tom Price’s Georgia’s 6th District seat:

https://youtu.be/sL-yU3yyxdA

Donald Trump is actively campaigning against Ossoff on social media:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/854284952539725828

A 30-year-old political novice, Ossoff is running as the lone Democrat against a field of 17 Republicans for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives vacated when Trump named Tom Price to be secretary of health and human services.

The outcome will not tip the balance of power in the Republican-controlled House. But an Ossoff win could weaken Trump’s already shaky hold on his fellow Republicans in the House by encouraging those in competitive districts to distance themselves from the president.

The Democrats are in the fight of their lives. They’re pulling out all of the stops, as they believe a win in this traditionally “red” district of Georgia would be a huge black eye for President Trump.

Is anyone really surprised that voter machines from this district have been stolen only days before what Democrats are calling a “must win” election?

Channel 2 Action News has learned that critical voting machines were stolen just days before polls will open for a special election.

State officials are investigating after equipment was taken from a Cobb County precinct manager’s vehicle. According to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, the equipment was stolen on Saturday evening while the vehicle was parked at the Kroger on Canton Road.

Kemp’s office says Cobb County Elections waited two days to tell his office about the theft of the machines.

The four so-called ExpressPoll machines were the computers poll workers used to check-in voters, and check those off who cast ballots.

“It’s very shocking, especially with the climate we have of voter fraud out there,” one Georgia voter told Channel 2’s Ross Cavitt.

Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler said the stolen machines cannot be used to fraudulently vote in Tuesday’s election. Eveler said the machines have voter information on them, but that information is “hard to access.”

Eveler said they will completely replace the machines at the Piedmont Road precinct.

 

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