By Bria Bolden| November 1, 2020 at 5:33 PM EST - Updated November 1 at 11:25 PM
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -Georgia’s Senate Race between Republican Incumbent David Perdue and Democratic Challenger Jon Ossoff may be one of the most talked-about races on the ballot.
WTOC sat down with Ossoff most about how this campaign season has gone and how he plans to serve Georgians if elected.
Jon Ossoff says he investigates organized crime, political corruption, and war crimes. He says his campaign, like this year, has been defined by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Something that has changed how we campaign but most importantly has been such a burden for Georgia families, has taken such a tragic human toll and has touched everybody that we know," Ossoff said. “We’re in the middle of a national crisis and my campaign has been focused on presenting a vision on how we end this crisis so that we can recover and rebuild.”
If elected, Ossoff says his day one plan will focus on COVID-19 recovery, rushing emergency economic relief to small business and families, as well as working on an infrastructure plan to jumpstart our economy.
He supports expanding Medicaid and delivering resources to build new health facilities in rural and underserved communities.
“Georgia taxpayers are already paying federal taxes into the Medicaid system," he says. "That money is going to other states. Our leaders need to accept Medicaid expansion in Georgia which will sustain and strengthen and rural hospitals and make healthcare more affordable.”
When it comes to education, he says he’ll invest in rural broadband access and upgrading Georgia’s schools. He also says Congress needed to pass relief for school districts months ago.
“Georgia’s school systems have been forced to open in the middle of a pandemic without any help from Washington, to meet CDC guidelines or to engage in remote learning in a way that’s fruitful," Ossoff said. "They desperately need help. Congress hasn’t delivered it and it’s a big part of why we need a change in leadership right now.”
Ossoff says he supports debt-free tuition for students attending public universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He also says he wants to invest in making vocational training free.
Ossoff says he intends to be a champion for criminal justice and police reform, as well a new civil rights act.
“Georgians are not partisan people,” Ossoff says. "We’re commonsense people. We want independence in our leaders. We want leaders who will empower doctors and scientists in a health crisis and that will level with us about threats to our health. This virus is spreading out of control in this country right now because our political leaders are failing to contain it because they’re undermining doctors and scientists. We could lose hundreds of thousands of more Americans in the next few months unless we make a change and get public health experts back in charge when it comes to fighting a pandemic.”
WTOC requested interviews with both candidates. We will hear from Senator Perdue during his campaign stop in Savannah tomorrow.
Copyright 2020 WTOC. All rights reserved.
Photo: WTOC