Biden to campaign in Georgia for Democrats in Senate runoffs

President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenPennsylvania GOP leader on breaking with Trump on election: ‘I’d get my house bombed tonight’ GOP Texas senator questions ‘legal theory’ behind Trump’s lawsuit to challenge state’s election results Nearly 30 staffers, members of Michigan legislature tested positive for COVID-19 this year MORE‘s campaign said early Thursday that he will travel to Georgia next week to support two Democrats in the state’s Senate runoffs.

Biden will campaign on Tuesday in Atlanta on behalf of Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, as well as other Democrats in the next month’s runoffs.

Additional details were not provided.

Ossoff is facing off against Sen. David PerdueDavid PerdueGoogle lifting political ad freeze Thursday Trump Jr. cuts ad for Loeffler, Perdue in Georgia Georgia elections official: Trump should ‘act more responsibly’ MORE (R-Ga.) in one of the runoffs on Jan. 5, while Sen. Kelly LoefflerKelly LoefflerTrump calls on Georgia AG not to have other Republicans oppose election lawsuit: report Google lifting political ad freeze Thursday Trump Jr. cuts ad for Loeffler, Perdue in Georgia MORE (R-Ga.) is slated to go up against Warnock in the other race. The races were sent to runoffs after neither candidate in either election secured a majority of the vote in November.

If Ossoff and Warnock oust Georgia’s two Republican senators, it would effectively give Democrats a controlling vote in the upper chamber, with Vice President-elect Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisMegan Thee Stallion shares letter from Maxine Waters thanking her for bringing attention to ‘plight of Black women’ Trump moves to intervene in Texas election lawsuit Obama: I don’t keep a checklist, but I monitored Trump rolling back my work MORE casting the tie-breaking vote once she takes office in January.

Otherwise, Republicans and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMembers of Congress should force leadership to hold a COVID-19 relief bill vote On The Money: Momentum stalls for COVID-19 relief bill | Congress barrels toward ‘COVID cliff’ | House passes stopgap bill to avoid government shutdown Senate rejects attempt to block Trump’s UAE arms sale MORE (R-Ky.) would retain control of the Senate, which would likely make achieving the approval of Biden’s Cabinet picks and agenda more difficult.

Republicans are also pulling out all the stops for the Georgia runoff election, sending President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump calls on Georgia AG not to have other Republicans oppose election lawsuit: report Pennsylvania GOP leader on breaking with Trump on election: ‘I’d get my house bombed tonight’ Lawmakers call for lowering health care costs to address disparities in pandemic MORE and Vice President Pence to campaign for the incumbent senators.

Biden’s incoming White House chief of staff, Ron KlainRon KlainLeft seeks to influence Biden picks while signaling unity Harris: ‘Of course I will’ take COVID-19 vaccine Intercept DC bureau chief says Biden picks are ‘same people’ from Obama years MORE, told NBC News’s “Meet the Press” last month that the president-elect and vice president-elect would campaign in Georgia for the Democratic candidates.

“It’s obviously important to win those seats in Georgia,” he said.

If “we have more people who support the kinds of things that Joe Biden supports, I think we’re going to have … a better government,” he added.

Except for a trip to Philadelphia on Veterans Day, Biden has not left Delaware since being declared president-elect on Nov. 7.

He became the first Democrat to win the presidential election in Georgia since 1992, although Trump has refused to concede and contested the results by promoting unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. Republican Georgia elections officials have denied his claims.

National Republicans have expressed concerns that Trump’s challenging of the election’s integrity will lead GOP voters to be unmotivated to participate in the runoffs.

Trump’s reelection campaign manager, Bill StepienBill StepienTrump campaign, RNC announce 0 million post-election fundraising haul Parscale says Trump should have been more empathetic on coronavirus Former Trump campaign chief Parscale reportedly planning to write a book MORE, said in a statement Thursday morning that Biden’s trip to Georgia “proves that Democrats are taking the Senate runoff elections seriously and so should Republicans.”

“Perdue and Loeffler have been strong allies for President Trump while their opponents represent everything liberal activists have been screaming about for four years,” he added.

— Updated at 9:57 a.m.