New York Times: “The Republican Senate candidates in Georgia are spending tens of millions of dollars on an almost entirely negative advertising campaign, embracing a strategy of riling up the conservative base instead of reaching out to a cross-section of voters in hopes of generating enough turnout to win two critical runoff elections that will decide control of the Senate…”

“There is no run to the center, despite Georgia’s voting for a Democratic presidential nominee for the first time in decades and proving itself to be a true battleground state… At campaign events and debates, as well as on airwaves with more than 27 different ads currently appearing, the candidates are racing furiously to motivate their own bases instead of catering to swing voters. Both parties have bet the house on turnout, not persuasion.”

Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s (R-GA) campaign said Saturday she is self-isolating after she tested positive for the coronavirus and later received an inconclusive result, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

It’s not clear how the diagnosis will affect her nationally-watched Jan. 5 runoff.

“The voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams is pumping $2.7 million to boost the work of a network of grassroots organizations ahead of the Jan. 5 runoffs – not to finance more TV ads but to strengthen their get-out-the-vote apparatus,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

“The two Georgia runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate, and much of President-elect Joe Biden’s ability to enact a Democratic agenda, are already drawing enormous sums of cash, with more than $125 million pouring into the state in only two weeks,” the New York Times reports.

“Unrelenting waves of negative ads have already begun. Roughly $135 million has already been booked in television spending during the nine-week sprint — even as some of the biggest expected spenders have not yet reserved time beyond the next week.”

A new Fox 5/Insider Advantage poll in Georgia finds Sen. David Perdue (R) and challenger Jon Ossoff (D) tied at 49% each.

In the other runoff, Raphael Warnock (D) edges Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R), 49% to 48%.

“Democrats and Republicans feuding over the integrity of the state’s vote have found common cause this week over another prickly issue: uniting to urge out-of-state residents not to move into Georgia for the sole purpose of voting in the Jan. 5 runoffs,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

“With party control of the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance, some Republican officials are raising alarm bells that out-of-state forces – specifically, liberal activists – will move to the state to try to swing the state’s dual U.S. Senate contests in favor of Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.”

“And top Democrats have issued a call for supporters outside Georgia to ‘help us mobilize voters and raise the resources we need from where you are,’ as Stacey Abrams put it.”

“Republican leaders are increasingly alarmed about the party’s ability to stave off Democratic challengers in Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections — and they privately described President Trump on a recent conference call as a political burden who despite his false claims of victory was the likely loser of the 2020 election,” the Washington Post reports.

“Those blunt assessments, which capture a Republican Party in turmoil as Trump refuses to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, were made on a Nov. 10 call with donors hosted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.”

“The Georgia Republican Party is beset with infighting, as leading Republicans in the state come under public attack from President Trump and his supporters following his apparent defeat by President-elect Joe Biden there—the first loss by a GOP presidential candidate since 1992,” the Washington Post reports.

“The internal strains come as state party leaders are trying to rally support for two sitting senators facing Jan. 5 runoffs that will determine control of the U.S. Senate.”

Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) has declined an invitation to debate challenger Jon Ossoff (D) ahead of the January runoff election for his seat, CNN reports.

“Republican senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are appearing in videos together, releasing statements together and, on Friday, they held a joint rally in this city outside Atlanta,” NBC News reports.

“After running different styles of campaigns, Perdue and Loeffler are heading into the January 5 runoffs with a new tactic to try to keep the Senate in GOP hands: joining forces and presenting themselves to Georgia voters as a unity ticket.”

“The Republican National Committee said Friday it is funding more than 600 staffers in the state with an investment of at least $20 million ahead of the Jan. 5 runoffs for the seats held by GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue,” the AP reports.

“The GOP’s investment follows on the party’s massive ground game and data operation in the 2020 presidential race, which fought a large Democratic operation. The party said it organized more than 2.6 million volunteers and had more than 3,000 paid field staffers across key battleground states. In Georgia alone, the RNC says it knocked on more than 3 million doors, made more than 8 million phone calls and registered at least 16,000 voters in the leadup to the presidential election.”

A new Remington Research Group (R) poll in Georgia finds Kelly Loeffler (R) edging Raphael Warnock (D) in the U.S. Senate runoff, 49% to 48% with 3% still undecided.

In the other runoff, Sen. David Perdue (R) leads Jon Ossoff (D), 50% to 46% with 4% still undecided.

“Georgia Democrats want Joe Biden’s campaign and donors to do everything they can to help win a pair of Senate races that could shape the success of his presidency,” Politico reports.

“But there’s one thing they’re not clamoring for: the president-elect himself.”

“Though Biden is leading in Georgia by 14,149 votes, Democrats would rather he stay in his proverbial basement by tending to his transition and portraying himself as an above-the-fray government-fixer. Instead, they say, send any Obama to help motivate the base in the two Jan. 5 Senate runoffs.”

Former Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams (D) announced that her group Fair Fight Action has raised $6 million so far to help Democrats in Georgia’s pair of January 5 Senate runoff elections.

President Trump and his top allies pressured Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) to denounce Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) “lest he tweet a negative word about them and risk divorcing them from his base ahead of the consequential runoff,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

“And shortly after, Trump and some of his inner circle started tweeting attacks at Raffensperger, who was already unpopular with many in the Georgia GOP base long before Tuesday’s vote.”

“Top Republicans in Washington are reluctant to call Joe Biden the president-elect publicly, fearing a rebellion by grassroots conservatives loyal to President Trump that would sink the party’s Senate majority,” the Washington Examiner reports.

“Republican insiders privately concede Biden ousted Trump and dismiss suggestions voter fraud, ballot errors, or other issues would be uncovered sufficient to alter the election. But with the president claiming otherwise and two Georgia runoff elections set for January that will decide the Senate majority, plus midterm elections in 2022, most congressional Republicans are backing Trump. The move is purely transactional.”

Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) and challenger Jon Ossoff (D) will head to a runoff race after neither candidate received 50 percent of the vote, Edison Research projects, the Washington Post reports.

“Georgia election rules require a candidate to get to 50 percent to win outright.”

In the special election for the state’s other Senate seat, a runoff will pit Raphael Warnock (D) against Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R), who was appointed to the seat.

“Democrats have not traditionally performed well in runoffs in the state, and the top of the ticket will not be on the ballot in January to help turn out voters for down-ballot races.”