The Runoff Report: Facebook lifts post-election advertising ban for Georgia runoffs


Republicans have secured 50 seats in the next U.S. Senate compared to Democrats’ 48 (including two independents who caucus with them). Control of the next Senate comes down to Georgia’s runoff elections. In The Runoff Report, we provide the latest on each race and the fight for Senate control.

Regular election updates

David Perdue campaigned in Fayetteville, Newnan, LaGrange, Carrollton, and Dallas Dec. 15. He also released an ad titled, “Man of His Word,” featuring six women discussing his character.

Jon Ossoff is holding a rally in Columbus today.

This election is for a full six-year term ending January 2027. Perdue was first elected in 2014. Ossoff ran against Karen Handel (R) in the 6th Congressional District special election in 2017.

Click here for more coverage of the regular election.

Special election updates

Kelly Loeffler tweeted a video today saying she early-voted and encouraging others to do the same. She campaigned in Catoosa County, Rome, and Woodstock Dec. 15.

Raphael Warnock will be stopping at early voting places in Stockbridge and Jonesboro and holding a rally with volunteers in Clarkston today, his campaign said in an email. 

The special election will fill the remainder of the term Johnny Isakson (R) won in 2016. He resigned in Dec. 2019, and Gov. Brian Kemp (R) appointed Loeffler, co-owner of the WNBA team Atlanta Dream. Warnock is senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The winner will complete the term ending in January 2023. 

Click here for more coverage of the special election.

Overall campaign updates

  • Club for Growth Action is holding a Save America Tour across Georgia in support of Loeffler and Perdue. The tour kicked off Dec. 11 and ends Dec. 21. Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Reps.-elect Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C) were in Muscogee County Tuesday and will be in DeKalb County today as part of the tour.
  • At his rally with Ossoff and Warnock in Atlanta Dec. 15, President-elect Joe Biden said, “Come January 5th, you’ve got to vote in record numbers again. Because, yes, the lives of every Georgian still depend on what you do. And, yes, you still need to vote as if your life depends on it. Because it does.”
  • Facebook Product Manager Sarah Schiff announced Dec. 15 that Facebook is lifting its post-election advertising ban for Georgia’s runoffs, starting today. She wrote:

We are maintaining our temporary pause for ads about social issues, elections or politics in the US. However, in recent weeks we’ve heard feedback from experts and advertisers across the political spectrum about the importance of expressing voice and using our tools to reach voters ahead of Georgia’s runoff elections. We agree that our ad tools are an important way for people to get information about these elections. So we have developed a process to allow advertisers to run ads with the purpose of reaching voters in Georgia about Georgia’s runoff elections.

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