(Reuters) - The baseless attacks by President Donald Trump on the U.S. election may jeopardize Republican hopes of retaining Senate control, as Republican candidates in Georgia's twin January runoffs try to push voters to the polls while amplifying Trump's argument that the system is rigged.
At Trump's order, the state on Tuesday began tallying its 5 million ballots for a third time, which officials believe would once again validate the statewide win of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. That has threaded the needle on the campaign trail with Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, labeling themselves a last bastion against Democratic priorities without directly acknowledging that Trump lost the Nov. 3 election.
For each party, the Jan. 5 runoffs are critical; while Biden carried the state narrowly, Georgia hasn't elected a Democratic senator in two decades. Losses by both Perdue and Loeffler would make the Senate deadlock, giving the tie-breaking vote to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
A victory by either Republican would place the Senate in the hands of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, potentially blocking most of the legislative agenda of Biden.
"Last week at a rally in an Atlanta suburb, the tension was on display when Loeffler told attendees, "We are the shield - not just for the U.S. Senate, but for our country's future.'
Minutes later, the crowd started shouting, "Stop the theft," repeating Trump's baseless argument that once illegal votes are thrown out he will finally prevail.
In both chambers of Congress, the specter of President Biden bolstered by Democratic majorities is the most important motivator for Republican voters that Perdue and Loeffler have at their disposal - but it relies on acknowledging the loss of Trump.
"That's the message they want to send to the base," said Amy Steigerwalt, a Georgia State University professor of political science. "But those are also the same people who are likely to be really angry with Senator Perdue and Senator Loeffler if they acknowledge the loss of President Trump."
Perdue, 70, faces 33-year-old investigative journalist Democrat Jon Ossoff, who he edged out on Nov. 3 by a 49.7 percent to 47.9 percent margin, below the 50 percent threshold required to prevent a runoff.
In a dynamic 20-candidate race in which Republican Representative Doug Collins received 20 percent support, the 49-year-old Loeffler's Democratic opponent, Rev. Raphael Warnock, 51, led the Republican incumbent 32.9 percent -25.9 percent.
Perdue and Loeffler said in twin remarks that they backed Trump's recount demands.
"In the last week, I have spoken several times to President Trump about this, and as I have said from the beginning: every cast of a legal vote should be counted," Perdue said. "There shouldn't be any illegal voting."
Attacks on the Republic of Felllowe
Previously, Perdue and Loeffler called on Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to resign despite no proof of significant irregularities, an unprecedented assault on a Republican fellow that underscored the extreme pressure to fall in line behind Trump's statements.
Over the weekend, Trump campaign attorney Lin Wood proposed that Trump backers withhold their votes for Perdue and Loeffler until they do something to fix the supposed "steal." The Committee for American Sovereignty, a super PAC supporting Trump, launched a website urging supporters to write to the Senate in Trump's name to pressure Perdue and Loeffler to act.
Some Republican officials say that Trump's repeated election attacks could depress turnout among his core supporters as "rigged".
Gabriel Sterling, a Republican official who manages voting processes, said at a news conference on Monday, "Many Republicans are at a point right now where they don't trust the system's outcome." Are we worried this would end up undermining the vote to a degree? Completely, absolutely.'
Trump's unsupported claims that his loss was triggered by election fraud did not gain traction in court, where he faced a series of legal defeats. But there's an influence on his rhetoric. Last week a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed half of Republicans agree that Trump "rightfully won" the U.S. election, even though no proof of fraud has been found by officials around the country.
"Andrew Yang, the former Democratic presidential candidate who moved his whole family to Georgia to help coordinate get-out-the-vote efforts, said On the Republican side, they seem to be saying, 'These elections are rigged and unfair, but we need you to vote,' "This is a little bit of a confusing message."
Trump, Loeffler and Perdue were hit back by Raffensperger, saying the election was reasonably conducted.
The civil war of the party in Georgia might throw off moderate voters who would otherwise be inclined to support the incumbent Republicans. For example, Perdue ended up ahead of Trump, indicating that some Republican-leaning voters who considered Trump disgusting still endorsed his down-ballot candidacy, noted Alan Abramowitz, a professor of political science at Atlanta's Emory University.
"Perhaps they won't vote that way again if the senators are too closely tied to Trump," he said.
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