The United States Senator Kelly Loeffler and Democratic challenger Reverend Warnock will debate this Sunday, exactly one month before the Georgia runoff election. According to an announcement by the Atlanta Press Club, FOX 5 Atlanta anchor Russ Spencer will serve as the moderator. Lisa Rayam, Atlanta NPR “Morning Edition” host and Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Greg Bluestein will serve as panelists.
The debate between Loeffler and Warnock will take place at 7:00 PM Sunday night. Preceding it will be a debate with Jon Ossoff at 5:00 PM. Ossoff will have the stage to himself as his opponent, U.S. Senator David Perdue, declined invitations to debate his challenger. Georgians can watch live on Georgia Public Broadcasting, GPB.org, and on-demand on The Atlanta Press Club Facebook page. The debate will be simulcast to a national audience on CNN.
“In a year when the election of Georgia’s two Senators will determine control of the U.S. Senate, it is vital that voters have this opportunity to hear from all the candidates,” said Atlanta Press Club chair Marylynn Ryan in a statement.
“These debates are an important public service that the Atlanta Press Club is proud to offer to Georgians,” Ryan added.
This shapes up as the only time Loeffler and Warnock will be in the same room before January 5th.
“Sen. Loeffler looks forward to exposing Warnock as the most radically liberal candidate anywhere in the country and hear why he has attacked our police, military, small businesses, Israel and virtually every single voting bloc in the state of Georgia,” Stephen Lawson, Loeffler campaign communications director, said when the campaign committed to the APC debate.
“I hear you’re ready to debate, @Kloeffler,” Warnock said in a tweet at the time. “Assume that means I’ll see you December 6th at the Atlanta Press Club, and twice more so Georgians know who will work for them.”
As of Monday, the campaigns, political parties, and political action committees have spent more than $280 million to run TV commercials in the Jan. 5 elections, according to AdImpact, a top national ad tracking firm formerly known as Advertising Analytics.
Update on #GeorgiaSenate : combined spending for both races has reached a total of $283M so far.
— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) November 30, 2020
“We are already seeing $41 million in total ad placement for the week of 12/1, bringing total ad expenditures for GA runoffs combined to over $280 million,” said AdImpact President John Link.
“At current pace, $500 million would be top end, but achievable,” Link said. “Given the overall importance and national attention these races are receiving, it would not surprise me. Right now our call is $450-500 million combined between both races.”
The pro-Republican Senate Leadership Fund and its allied group American Crossroads have combined spent $83 million to run ads backing Loeffler and Perdue. The pro-Democratic Senate Majority Fund has spent $10 million so far to run commercials supporting Ossoff and Warnock.
