Speaker Paul Ryan Comes To Dunwoody To Campaign For Handel

DUNWOODY, GA -- House Speaker Paul Ryan is coming Monday to Georgia's 6th Congressional District to campaign for Republican Karen Handel. Instead of Sandy Springs, the new venue will be in Dunwoody.

Ryan's Monday visit is widely seen as a sign of the importance that the GOP is putting on the race, which pits Handel against political newcomer, Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Ryan's visit comes after a new poll released over the weekend shows that the 6th District race, which has been viewed as an early indicator of the 2018 elections and the strength of President Donald Trump, remains neck and neck. The survey from Florida-based Gravis Marketing shows Ossoff is leading Handel 47 percent to 45 percent with a 3.3 margin of error.

The poll also finds that Trump, despite his recent missteps, continues to have a positive favorability rating. Forty-six percent of respondents approve of what he is doing, while 43 percent disapprove.

Handel's run for Congress has brought her newfound visibility on the national Republican scene, evidenced by President Donald Trump using his favorite medium, Twitter, to support her as well as his recent visit to Atlanta to stump for her.

He raised $750,000 for her in an April 28 event when he came to town to speak at the National Rifle Association convention. He reportedly told her at the fundraiser, "You'd better win."

Ossoff, a political newcomer who has risen from congressional aide to Democratic heavyweight, almost won outright during a special election on April 19. The 30-year-old investigative filmmaker ended the night with 48 percent — 2 percent shy of the 50 percent needed to declare victory. Handel, who had to contend with 10 other Republicans in an 18-candidate field, mustered just enough votes to force a runoff.

Read more: Georgia's 6th District Election Shatters Record For Most Expensive House Race Ever

Ryan campaign spokesman Zack Roday told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the speaker is “proud to stand with Karen Handel, a strong conservative leader who will be a fighter for Georgians.”

Ryan will speak at 4 p.m. at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center, 246 Perimeter Center NE Atlanta, GA 30346. Doors open at 3 p.m.

Ossoff's campaign, reached by WSB-TV on Monday, had this to say about what the 30-year-old Democrat will be doing during Ryan's visit to the 6th District:

"While Karen Handel hobnobs with Speaker Ryan, who has pledged to privatize Medicare, Jon Ossoff will meet with young voters and local musicians in open-press events like he did all weekend and has done since the start of our campaign," a statement attributed to Sacha Haworth said, the TV station reports.

Ryan, for his part, remains embroiled in the Washington firestorm surrounding the recent firing of FBI Director James Comey. He told Fox News recently that, "The truth is James Comey, who is a worthwhile and dedicated public servant, I think he had just basically lost the confidence of a lot of Republicans and a lot of Democrats based upon his conduct, his actions and some of the comments that he made. Most importantly, he lost the confidence of the president, and it is entirely within the president's role and authority to relieve him, and that's what he did." (For more political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Image via Ty Wright / Stringer / Getty Images News