Clayton County, GA — Electric.
There is no other way to described the environment inside an Atlanta-area arena on Wednesday evening. The 8,000-seat venue was packed to the brim, with more supporters waiting outside, as a united Democratic ticket took the stage just six days before election day.
Incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is facing Republican House Rep. Mike Collins in a crucial Senate race, one Ossoff has been leading in polls throughout. Ossoff has collected endorsements from across the aisle from political commentators like Shelley Winters to Republican mayors like Valdosta's Scott James Matheson and Tifton's Julie Smith. They applaud his constituent services and his ability to deliver from Washington.
Just below his name on the
ballot is Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta now running for the state's highest seat. She faces healthcare CEO and billionaire Republican Rick Jackson in the governor's race, and while her campaign has been outspent by millions, she and Jackson remain deadlocked in polling going into election day.
The "United for Georgia" rally had one clear message: there is one ticket, one goal, one mission at stake on election day. Democrats want power back in Georgia.
Election will change direction of GA for 'generations to come,' Bottoms says
It's been more than two decades since Georgia had a Democratic governor, but with a Bottoms win on Nov. 3, a new era would begin.
"The next six days will determine the future of our state for generations to come," Bottoms said. "So not only are we showing up to early vote, but we will show up on election day, remembering that our votes are our voices, and our voices will never be silenced."
Bottoms has already outperformed Stacey Abrams, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2018 and 2022 who lost both elections to now Gov. Brian Kemp. But while Abrams and now-Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock rarely appeared together as they both ran for election, Bottoms not only has Ossoff but the rest of the Democratic ticket on her side.
"Over the last year and a half, I've had the privilege of traveling across Georgia, talking with people, listening to their concerns, and hearing how excited Georgians are to have a chance at something better for their families and communities," Bottoms said. "Those conversations have reminded me that this election is about the people we serve... This election is about whether every Georgian, no matter their ZIP code or background, has a fair chance at building a better future."
When her attention turned to her opponent, she criticized his outsider view as a self-funded candidate worth billions and his repeated stance throughout the campaign that he would be "Trump's favorite governor." It's a message he has stepped away from in the last few weeks of election, even cutting it from his comments while he appeared on stage with the president in Dalton a few weeks ago. Bottoms continued to tie Jackson to the president, saying they are cut from the same cloth and would continue to put themselves ahead of the interests of Georgia voters. She said Jackson was trying to "buy" the election, and she continued to use the nickname "Slick Rick" to refer to Jackson.
"He's running to be Trump's favorite governor. I'm running to be yours," Bottoms said.
'Georgia will bow to no king,' Ossoff centers message on corruption
As he has done throughout the campaign, and throughout his career as a politician and investigative journalist, Ossoff centered his message on Wednesday night around corruption.
"For nearly two years, we've seen our government transformed into a tool for one man's personal vengeance and power and enrichment," Ossoff said. "And in six days, Georgia will rebuke the crook President Donald Trump with such clarity ... It's the most corrupt administration of all time, and everybody knows it. And while the crook president and his crook family rake in billions from all over the world, you pay more for everything."
Ossoff said the president promised to lower prices on "day one," and the cost of living has only increased. He walked through the timeline of the war in Iran, now in it's eighth month. Despite facing Collins in the race, Ossoff's message centered largely around the president and tying Collins to what Ossoff says is a playbook of corruption.
"The crypto payoffs and the crooked ballrooms, the pay-to-play pardons and the billions of your tax dollars backing Prince Don and Prince Eric's investments. Never before has so little effort been made to cover up so much corruption," Ossoff said. "And here's the bottom line: if you're involved in any of this, next year you'll be raising your right hand and swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
Ossoff said Collins had a "childlike devotion to Donald Trump" coming off two recent appearances with the president on the campaign trail in Georgia. When Collins took the stage, he praised the president and continued to tie his own campaign to the MAGA movement.
"A wave is building, the kind of wave that comes once a generation when the people have been pushed too far and decide together, all at once, that enough is enough," Ossoff said before welcoming Obama to the stage. "We have six days, Georgia, and Georgia will bow to no king."
'These are serious times,' Obama says
"When you campaign in as many elections as I have, you can tell when an election comes along that just feels a little different. An election where people are so ready for something new, so hungry for something better, so sick and tired of bing sick and tired that every minute that every vote feels like change is in the air," Obama said as he took the stage to cheers.
The former president echoed much of what Bottoms and Ossoff had said. He called the Trump Administration one of "chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence." He pointed to higher prices for food, gas, healthcare and other basic needs.
"You thought everything cost more before, guess what? Everything is more expensive now," Obama said. "Now, I want to be fair, remember I'm a facts guy, so I like to be fair. As a former president, I can say that sometimes there are factors beyond the president's control and it can thwart best laid plans. You might have a good plan, some unforeseen event happens, but that's not the case here."
The former president spoke to what he said were real concerns about the future of the nation, acknowledging that "these are serious times."
"We need serious people who are listening to your concerns, who see you and care about you ... like Jon Ossoff, like Keisha Lance Bottoms," Obama said.
He also took some time to acknowledge the backlash from a joke made over the weekend saying Trump has transformed the White House to look like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory." He said the White House had pushed back against the comment, going as far as to call for a press conference in front of a Cheesecake Factory location, but that they hadn't pushed against any of the claims of corruption and vitriol Obama had also made.
"Let me get this on the record. I am the father of two daughters. You think I could have survived their childhood without going to the Cheesecake Factory? I lived at Chuck E. Cheese, and California Pizza Kitchen and at the Cheesecake Factory. That was my jam for about a decade," Obama said.
Democratic voters are motivated
In the hours-long wind-up to former President Barack Obama's keynote address, supporters watched down-ballot Democrats take the stage as one unified ticket.
Tanya Miller, running for attorney general, said she was running as the "people's lawyer" and not a fixer for a party or candidate. Josh McLaurin, running for lieutenant governor spoke about being a college student at the University of Georgia during Obama's first presidential campaign and the impact it had on his future career. Penny Brown Reynolds, running for secretary of state, spoke about the importance of voting rights and mobilizing the Black vote this election cycle.
The excitement in the room as each candidate took the stage mirrored what has already been seen at the polls.
Early voting is currently underway and runs until Friday, Oct. 30, and turnout has been far outperforming previous midterm cycles. As of Thursday morning, more than 2.2 million Georgians have already cast their ballot, whether through the mail or in person. The turnout looks promising for Democrats as the Atlanta metro continues to vote in high numbers and minority voters show up. Clayton County, where the event was held, is a predominantly Black county, and one-third of the voting population has already cast their ballot.
Where can I watch the rally?
Clips of the rally are circulating online, but you can watch Bottoms, Ossoff and Obama take the stage on YouTube.
Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Georgia will bow to no king.' Obama, Ossoff, Bottoms rally together
