U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said he won’t take part in the polarized political climate that has gripped the country over the past few years. The senator made the remarks at a Brookhaven/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce luncheon on June 14.
“We must be careful not to let partisan debate distort our view of the world,” the first-time senator told a packed audience at a Prosperity Partners luncheon at the Atlanta Marriott Hotel Perimeter Center. “Every day, our team solves the specific needs of our constituents.”
Ossoff said he made a conscious decision to be known for his accomplishments if elected in 2021, rather than gaining notoriety for “making insulting posts across various platforms.”
He also said that despite the perception that the federal government is at an impasse, progress has been made to improve the lives of many Georgians, including upgrading all ports and airports across the state, addressing rural health care shortages, helping farmers affected by the 2023 cold snap that devastated Georgia’s peach crop, and negotiating a 70% reduction in tariffs on pecan crops sent to India.
“I’m pleased to work with county and state officials to move Georgia forward,” he said.
Ossoff briefly discussed ongoing pressure on the U.S. Postal System to address delivery issues, mail theft and an outdated processing system.
“The Postmaster General has one job and one job only – to get the mail to people on time,” he said. “I’m going to continue to put very strong pressure on the United States Postal System.”
In 2020, Ossoff was selected as the Democratic candidate for the 2020 US Georgia Senate election, competing against then-incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue for the seat. As neither candidate reached the 50% threshold in the general election on November 3, a runoff election was held on January 5, 2021, in which Ossoff won by a narrow margin.
Ossoff will serve alongside fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock, who defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler in the 2020 Senate special election runoff. The two races attracted significant national attention and spending because the results would determine which party would control the U.S. Senate. The victories of Warnock and Ossoff gave Democrats a 50-50 split in the Senate, with a slim majority given to Democrats due to a possible runoff election by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
With his victory, Ossoff became the youngest senator since Don Nickles in 1980 and the first Jewish senator elected from Georgia.
Asked about the possibility of the upcoming general election in November creating a violent atmosphere similar to that seen across the country in 2020, Ossoff said he would do everything in his power to spread the message that there was “no room for violent mobs seeking to overturn the peaceful transfer of power.”
“I hope we can work together to ease the political tensions in this country,” Ossoff said. “We don’t need to eat each other.”
According to the Prosperity Partnership Series website, the series will feature “dynamic keynote speakers who will delve into the pressing issues of our time.” Topics covered in the series include workforce development and diverse, equitable and inclusive economic growth.
