The polls have closed in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional district for the special election between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel.

The special election has turned out to be the most expensive in U.S. history, with each side pouring in tens of millions of dollars to back their particular candidate as Democrats see a potential momentum-shifter and Republicans see an opportunity to hold off the left once and for all in the era of President Donald Trump.

President Trump has urged his supporters in Georgia to turn out in a series of Tweets, including one on Tuesday morning:

KAREN HANDEL FOR CONGRESS. She will fight for lower taxes, great healthcare strong security-a hard worker who will never give up! VOTE TODAY — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 20, 2017

The race comes in a district left open by former Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), who vacated the seat when he became President Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. President Trump won the traditionally Republican district narrowly in November against Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News the day before the election, Handel told senior editor Joel Pollak that she expects to win. “There has definitely been a significant bias from the local media like nothing like I have ever experienced,” Handel said. “But I intend to have the last laugh when I win tomorrow.” Ossoff, in an interview on election day with CNN, called Handel a “career politician” and contrasted that with himself who he says is “a fresh voice who wants to work across the aisle to get things done to grow our economy, work to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for women and folks with pre-existing conditions.” Ossoff also said “clearly there is a lot of national interest,” but that he will “leave it to the pundits–the folks at CNN–to assess the national implications.” Final polls in the district have shown a race that has come down to the wire, and it remains to be seen who won.

Now, as of 7 p.m. ET in the suburban Atlanta district, the polls have closed. Follow along with Breitbart News in this livewire as the results will begin trickling in soon.

********* UPDATES BELOW *********

Last Laugh:

Exclusive – Karen Handel: 'I Intend to Have the Last Laugh When I Win' – Breitbart https://t.co/ZnLxMtHb27 via @BreitbartNews — Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) June 19, 2017

Well, the Special Elections are over and those that want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN are 5 and O! All the Fake News, all the money spent = 0 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2017

UPDATE: 12:32 A.M.

Dems spent 25!!!!! Million for what? A BIGGER loss than Clinton had in the Presidential! KEEP SPEAKING AMERICA! #MAGA — Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) June 21, 2017

UPDATE: 12:30 A.M.

They probably broke the tips of four pencils writing this headline. https://t.co/mz6CWTt0wQ — Brian Phillips (@RealBPhil) June 21, 2017

Handel averted a humiliating upset for Republicans in a suburban Atlanta seat they have held for nearly 40 years https://t.co/ToMbdPcMoT pic.twitter.com/ER787Xoezz — NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 12:20 A.M.

Good question:

Wonder if Trump is "so tired of winning"? https://t.co/J8mABYHDu8 — Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 12:05 A.M.

No matter how they spin it:

Donna Edwards on MSNBC: "what it really tells us" is that a lot of less-Republican seats will be "in play." #howtospinaloss — Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) June 21, 2017

It’s really, really bad news for the Democrats in 2018:

There are only 27 "less Republican" GOP-held seats than #GA06 (measured by Clinton %). That would mean Dems need to win 24 of them. https://t.co/hTWvKvKK8i — Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 12:03 A.M.

MELTDOWN:

One important lesson is that when they go low, going high doesn't f**king work. — Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 12:02 A.M.

Donna Brazile, the ex-interim chair of the DNC who helped Hillary Clinton lose badly to President Trump, sums up perfectly the attitude that has Democrats in this mess:

UPDATE 11:57 P.M.

Democrats are now struggling with the pathway forward after Ossoff’s embarrassing loss to Handel tonight:

To take back the House, we need lean GOP voters who disapprove of Trump to vote for a Dem. This is hard, but very doable over 18 months — Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 21, 2017

They are even considering openly discussing dumping Pelosi out of Democratic leadership:

No Dem wants to say it publicly, but taking their top bogeyman Pelosi off the table would help too. Fair or not, it's the truth. https://t.co/OlfYJ9H5mC — Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 11:49 P.M.

Even CNN’s Brian Stelter–the most ardent defender of the network President Trump has labeled a “very fake news” outlet–recognizes the epic fail for the establishment media and the win for grassroots conservative media like Breitbart News. It’s notable that even Stelter is publicly Tweeting about Breitbart News since he continues to refuse to appear on Breitbart News Daily, Breitbart News Saturday and Breitbart News Sunday on SiriusXM 125 The Patriot Channel when asked–for months since even before the 2016 presidential election–if he was courageous enough to publicly defend his network’s conduct on Breitbart radio.

UPDATE 11:38 P.M.

President Trump also congratulates Ralph Norman over in South Carolina, where Republicans won another big victory tonight over the Democrats:

Ralph Norman ran a fantastic race to win in the Great State of South Carolina's 5th District. We are all honored by your success tonight! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 11:36 P.M.

Here’s a reaction from Vice President Mike Pence:

Congrats Karen Handel! Great campaign & great victory! With @realDonaldTrump in the White House & you in Congress, we will #MAGA! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/bytT6YFb1x — Mike Pence (@mike_pence) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 11:34 P.M.

Must read piece from Breitbart News’ Jim Pinkerton on what Karen Handel’s big win, and Jon Ossoff’s big loss, means for President Trump’s agenda.

UPDATE 11:32 P.M.

Alyssa Milano is having just as much difficulty as Rosie O’Donnell with Hollywood’s big loss in Georgia tonight, but is dealing with it slightly differently: Milano is calling for a big group hug.

~GROUPHUG~

get in. — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 11:30 P.M.

The Republican National Committee’s Michael Ahrens calls out the media and the Democrats in his statement tonight:

“For every reporter who covered this race as a referendum against President Trump and his agenda, it’s time to refocus your stories. The Democrats spent over $30M for Jon Ossoff to get the same 47% that Hillary Clinton did in GA-6 in 2016 – and to underperform his 48.1% in the April primary. Ossoff ran the Democrats’ playbook for 2018, with his “Make Trump Furious” campaign and all of the Democrat and “Resistance” resources at his disposal. As Democrats go 0-4 in House special elections, there’s no other way to view the party but as limping into 2018.”

UPDATE 11:28 P.M.

KellyAnne so good:

What an embarrassing loss for Ossoff–he spent millions upon millions of dollars to fail miserably:

Ossoff is headed to lose by a bigger margin than Hillary did there in 2016 and spent $25M to do so. There's nothing to be proud of here. https://t.co/QkDRiE1yGx — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 11:24 P.M.

As expected, Rosie O’Donnell is losing her mind:

and watch him pump up his enormous fetid ego –

he will tweet himself into jail

go donnie go https://t.co/AUjxAhZJES — ROSIE (@Rosie) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 11:03 P.M.

The media is afraid. Very afraid:

Media was ready for @karenhandel loss to rattle @realDonaldTrump & GOP. But it's now the mainstream media that's rattled. #GA6 — David Brody (@TheBrodyFile) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 11:02 P.M.

Top conservatives, including Americans for Limited Government president Rick Manning, say the takeaway from Handel’s victory is that Republicans on Capitol Hill need to get with President Trump’s program and kickstart the Trump agenda now:

“The Georgia Congressional race should serve as a wake-up call for the GOP in Washington, D.C. to get to work on President Trump’s agenda,” Manning said in a statement. “The Ryan-McConnell rope a dope strategy where they spend more time on vacation than doing the people’s business will lead to catastrophic results in November of 2018. Speaker Ryan should immediately cancel the August recess and move aggressively forward on the President’s agenda with an emphasis on economic growth measures, including laying the groundwork for tax cuts, turning the President’s infrastructure plan into legislation and sending it to the Senate, and cutting the budget in accordance with the Trump budget. The House of Representatives is not saddled with the filibuster and the GOP Conference needs to be aggressive in passing limited government legislation across Capitol Hill to the Senate.”

UPDATE 11:00 P.M.

I know we shared a similar image earlier, but this is just too good to not share again:

Hey @CNN its like your constant conspiracy theories and hatred towards the President actually doesn't make a difference Enjoy the night! pic.twitter.com/R0E0GiuWGS — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 10:58 P.M.

Some Democrats are not learning lessons that Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) is from this, and are instead still in fantasy land:

Jon @ossoff & team should hold heads high. He outperformed every Dem cong candidate since the '70s. He showed us we can compete EVERYWHERE! — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) June 21, 2017

Beyond proud of the campaigns Jon @Ossoff & @Archie4Congress ran. You both make me proud to be a Democrat & even more committed to fighting. — Tom Perez (@TomPerez) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 10:56 P.M.

Here’s a full statement from Ronna Romney McDaniel, the national chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, on Ossoff’s embarrassing loss and Handel’s and President Trump’s huge win in Georgia:

“I want to offer my warmest congratulations to Karen Handel on her victory. Tonight, the people of Georgia’s Sixth District overwhelmingly voted not only for Karen, but also for President Trump’s agenda of replacing our broken healthcare system, reforming an outdated tax code, and prioritizing infrastructure investment. For the fourth time since November, voters have rejected the Democrat’s agenda of obstruction and made it clear it’s time get to work for the American people and join President Trump’s administration in Making America Great Again.”

UPDATE 10:54 P.M.

GOP “smart set” downplays significance of Handel’s and Trump’s victory tonight:

The truth is, #GA06 was meaningless either way. Parties and media imbued it with special significance. It has none. — S.E. Cupp (@secupp) June 21, 2017

Meanwhile, Sally Kohn pushes for Democrats to move further left:

Best thing that could come out of the #GA06 results is for Democratic Party to finally give up its self-destructive obsession with centrism — Sally Kohn (@sallykohn) June 21, 2017

KellyAnne Conway, President Trump’s counselor who was previously his winning general election campaign manager, trolls the media and the critics hard:

Thanks to everyone who breathlessly and snarkily proclaimed #GA06 as a "referendum on POTUS @realDonaldTrump". You were right. #winning — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) June 21, 2017

Univision is not happy with KellyAnne:

The White House can't complain about nastiness in DC when Senior Staff behaves like this. You are supposed to set the bar @KellyannePolls https://t.co/2684Iw099I — Enrique Acevedo (@Enrique_Acevedo) June 21, 2017

President Trump’s son Donald Trump, Jr., hammers the Democratic Party for wasting millions upon millions on loser Jon Ossoff:

The democrats could not have put more into this race. They spent the most $ EVER and LOST. Maybe they will start working with POTUS? — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 21, 2017

And the RNC’s chairwoman is praising Handel’s victory:

My warmest congratulations to @karenhandel! She'll stand for the people of #GA6 and continue to bring much-needed change to Washington. pic.twitter.com/rTat3aZUJZ — Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) June 21, 2017

Worth noting, too, that CNN cut away from Handel’s victory speech:

The Democrats are 0-4 now in special elections, despite going all in in all of them:

Deplorables 4

Resistance 0 — Bean Counter (@TNBeanCounter) June 21, 2017

They’re not happy about it either:

Surprised and disappointed by the large margin in the GA special. — US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 10:48 P.M.

Handel, in her victory speech, delivered thanks to her supporters.

“This was going to be a very tight race… and was going to require all hands on deck,” Handel said, “and that’s exactly what we had.” Handel thanked the many Republicans she ran against in the primary for helping her against Ossoff, and thanked many from the Georgia GOP congressional delegation including the U.S. Senators from Georgia. She thanked Speaker Paul Ryan and House GOP leadership. “And a special thanks to the president of the United States of America,” she added to cheers of “TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!” from the audience, before adding as well: “But let’s not forget our equally great vice president, Mike Pence.”

Handel also gave a shout-out to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was shot in a GOP baseball practice before the congressional baseball game last week. She said Scalise and her were in constant communication until his shooting, and that Scalise called her the “terminator” in a text message. She said the shooting was a “tragedy.”

“We need to find a more civil way to deal with our disagreement because in these United States of America no one — no one — should ever feel their life threatened over their political beliefs and positions,” Handel said. “And I say that, ladies and gentlemen, with regard to both sides of the political aisle.”

Handel also thanked the grassroots supporters who went door-to-door in the Georgia heat this spring and summer to turn out the vote for her campaign.

Handel said that Ossoff was “more than gracious” in his concession to her and she wished Ossoff and his fiancee Alicia the best in the “new life they’re going to be starting.”

Handel also mentioned her predecessors in this Georgia sixth district seat–former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price–noting she has “big shoes to fill.”

“I will work every day to make this state and this country a better place,” Handel said.

President Trump also Tweets a third time, offering more congratulations for Handel’s big win over Ossoff and Hollywood:

Congratulations to Karen Handel on her big win in Georgia 6th. Fantastic job, we are all very proud of you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 10:38 P.M.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) is not buying the national leftist spin:

#Ossof Race better be a wake up call for Democrats – business as usual isn't working. Time to stop rehashing 2016 and talk about the future. — Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) June 21, 2017

We need a genuinely new message, a serious jobs plan that reaches all Americans, and a bigger tent not a smaller one. Focus on the future. — Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) June 21, 2017

Even the New York Times is waking up:

To those chanting “not my Congresswoman” at Ossoff HQ, you have something in common with the Democrat leftist you voted for:

Hey she's not Ossof's Congresswoman either! https://t.co/qFD6FtGnBk — John Noonan (@noonanjo) June 21, 2017

Trump Tweets again:

Thank you @FoxNews "Huge win for President Trump and GOP in Georgia Congressional Special Election." — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2017

Ross Douthat hot takes it trying to attack Trump on his and Handel’s big night:

Both SC and GA results hint that Trump's total failure to govern as a populist is weakening his map-scrambling effect. — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) June 21, 2017

Whereas Clinton-connected Priorities USA blames–wait for it—GERRYMANDERING!

Reminder about #GA06. It was gerrymandered to be represented by Republicans. pic.twitter.com/jp1gM07BcA — Josh Schwerin (@JoshSchwerin) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 10:30 P.M.

Ossoff gave his concession speech in Atlanta, and filled it with progressive language and platitudes to the institutional left. The leftist-laced speech ended with Ossoff saying “this is not the outcome any of us were hoping for” but argued that “this is the beginning” of something bigger.

UPDATE 10:25 P.M.

And there it is, President Trump Tweets that things looking great for Handel:

Things are looking great for Karen H! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2017

Remember President Trump was pushing people hard to vote here for Handel and this was billed by the media as a referendum against him. Turns out it ends up being a referendum FOR him and his agenda.

UPDATE 10:24 P.M.

Look at all those sad faces on CNN:

Oof. CNN needs to immediately track down all those Russian votes in Georgia's 6th District. pic.twitter.com/RQumluRdLr — Mike Gallagher (@radiotalkermike) June 21, 2017

But apparently Dana Bash says this is a huge morale buster for Democrats. And David Chalian says there are no “moral victories” for Democrats here since they went “all in.”

“They lost,” Chalian says of the Democrats’ embarrassing performance in Georgia.

Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Karen Handel–congratulations to the Congresswoman-elect–will be the first female Republican House member from Georgia:

Karen Handel will be first Republican female House member from Georgia. — David Mark (@DavidMarkDC) June 21, 2017

Ossoff supporters are not taking the loss well at all:

Brief and scattered shouts of "not my congresswoman" at the Ossoff event — Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) June 21, 2017

But he has conceded the race to Handel, per reports:

Jon @Ossoff just got off the phone with Karen Handel to concede the #ga06 race and is about to speak. #gapol — Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) June 21, 2017

And the Democrats are in disarray as President Trump says:

Democrats trying to get a "handle" on what just happened to them in Georgia.@karenhandel declared winner. @realDonaldTrump winner too.#GA06 — David Brody (@TheBrodyFile) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 10:19 P.M.

In a text message to supporters, President Donald Trump congratulates Karen Handel and notes how the Democrats are losing “BIG LEAGUE.”

“Congrats to Karen Handel on a HUGE win in GA! Democrats lose again (0-4). Total disarray. The MAGA Mandate is stronger than ever. BIG LEAGUE.”

Still no Tweets yet from President Trump, though. We’ll bring them to you if and when he does.

UPDATE 10:16 P.M.

Democrats are a broken party and need to figure out a pathway forward:

https://twitter.com/damianpaletta/status/877342018162307072

Meanwhile, White House adviser Cliff Sims–who works for President Donald Trump–Tweets from his personal account:

https://twitter.com/Cliff_Sims/status/877348123575582720

Nope, Trump supporting Republicans should not be tired of winning–not yet. They keep on rolling as the Democrats keep losing.

UPDATE 10:13 P.M.

The Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel is praising Ralph Norman, the Republican victor over in South Carolina tonight:

“Ralph Norman’s victory tonight marks yet another success by Republicans building on our momentum from last November,” McDaniel said in a statement. “Now, more than ever, voters are ready for strong, conservative leadership in Washington and continue to make that clear by electing Republicans at all levels. I am confident that Ralph will be an outspoken voice for conservative values and an ally in advancing President Trump’s pro-growth agenda that puts South Carolinians and all Americans first.”

UPDATE 10:11 P.M.

House Speaker Paul Ryan is considering Handel the victor, and has released a statement praising her victorious campaign.

“Congratulations to Karen Handel on a hard-earned and well-deserved victory,” Ryan said in a statement. “Democrats from coast to coast threw everything they had at this race, and Karen would not be defeated. The people of Georgia’s 6th Congressional District are the big winners tonight because they have elected a representative who is going to tirelessly fight for them and their interests. Karen is all business. I’ve campaigned with her and I know how eager she is to get to work. I’m excited to have her as a partner in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with her as we tackle our country’s most pressing problems.”

UPDATE 10:10 P.M.

Handel appeared at campaign headquarters not to declare victory, but just to say she wants to dot all her I’s and cross all her T’s before she declares victory. But she is expected to be the next U.S. representative from Georgia’s sixth district.

UPDATE 10:06 P.M.

Who’s laughing now? A flashback to Breitbart senior editor Joel Pollak’s exclusive interview with Karen Handel, the Republican candidate who just defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in the special election in Georgia’s sixth congressional district, who said on Monday that she intended to win:

“There has definitely been a significant bias from the local media like nothing like I have ever experienced,” Handel told Breitbart News. “But I intend to have the last laugh when I win tomorrow.”

UPDATE 10:02 P.M.

CNN’s David Chalian tries to spin Handel’s upset victory over Ossoff as nothing great for Trump, but somehow good news for House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A very odd analysis from the very fake news network.

UPDATE 10:01 P.M.

Decision Desk HQ calls it for Handel too. Still waiting on Associated Press.

UPDATE 10:00 P.M.

CNN calls the election at the top of Don Lemon’s program, projecting Republican Karen Handel as the winner of the special election over Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Also, NYT writer Nate Cohn joins the parade predicting Handel victory:

There's a lot of mail and some scattered, red Election Day vote. By but our estimate, Handel is on track to win this thing pic.twitter.com/SiB91g6ny7 — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) June 21, 2017

Meanwhile, per Decision Desk HQ, she’s up more than 10,000 votes. Her 52.5 percent, and 116,981 votes, are much better than Ossoff’s 47.5 percent and 105,879 votes.

UPDATE 9:58 P.M.

And now the official predictions that Handel seems to have won are rolling in:

Cook Political Report editor:

Projection: Karen Handel (R) has defeated Jon Ossoff (D) in #GA06. — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 21, 2017

He also says final votes not good enough for Democrat Ossoff:

BIG news here. This is just not good enough for Ossoff. #GA06 https://t.co/fL44Lwwjru — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 21, 2017

Here is the mail vote details he was referring to:

Not official yet, but leaning heavily that way.

UPDATE 9:56 P.M.

Cue Democrat infighting, because these “moral victories” aren’t amounting to any real wins for them anywhere in the country:

https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/877336160762200064

https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/877329834313232384

https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/877330486330314753

Democrats are destined to lose every race from here to eternity by margins just close enough to maintain some hope for the future. — Sam Stein (@samstein) June 21, 2017

Yes, GA6 is very GOP-leaning. But it is also supposedly the template district for Ds making inroads in age of Trump. both pts relevant — Sam Stein (@samstein) June 21, 2017

https://twitter.com/raju/status/877334078541799426

True a +9R district shouldn't be remotely close but Democrats need real victories, not moral ones, to claim anti-Trump momentum. #GA06 https://t.co/sDYdw5htjF — Brian Normoyle (@BrianNormoyle) June 20, 2017

There's an unmistakable trend that is continuing with SC05 and GA06 though – House races are all swinging about +16% Democrat. — Benchmark Politics (@benchmarkpol) June 21, 2017

Which is, in its own way, some good news for Democrats. But they need to translate these shifts to wins to effect the change they seek. https://t.co/otB0RCg0xG — Brian Normoyle (@BrianNormoyle) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 9:45 P.M.

Mathematically looks good for Republicans and bad for Democrats:

Handel winning same-day vote 58-42%. Lost early vote 50.7-49.3%. — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) June 21, 2017

Karen Handel is doing better in Dem-dominated DeKalb than Jon Ossoff is doing in GOP-dominated Cobb. — Jim Galloway (@politicalinsidr) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 9:43 P.M.

Over on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow has also basically abandoned coverage of the Handel-Ossoff face-off to break out her tin-foil hat again to push “Vladimir Putin money went to Trump” theories. Similar to what’s on CNN, where Dana Bash is saying that this race should not have been close because Mitt Romney “won this district by double digits.”

UPDATE 9:41 P.M.

Looking like Handel is in a solid position, per Decision Desk HQ, but waiting on mail-in ballots for now.

"Why haven't you guys called it yet"

Mail ins, my friends.

Mail ins.

We're waiting to see how that breaks out.

Otherwise, well, yeah. — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 21, 2017

Absentee mail-ins are coming in for DeKalb shortly, @Nate_Cohn — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 21, 2017

But turnout very high in this runoff race:

And we just broke right through first round turnout. 195880 counted 117/208 — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 9:40 P.M.

Handel’s lead is now more than 6 percent. She’s at 53.2 percent to Ossoff’s 46.8 percent. Her 104,223 votes tower over Ossoff’s 91,657 votes, per Decision Desk HQ.

UPDATE 9:36 P.M.

CNN has all but dropped coverage of the special election in Georgia for a lengthy segment bashing Trump with their White House correspondent Jim Acosta complaining that the president has not released his tax returns. And the media is in full overdrive spinning Ossoff’s thus-far-underwhelming (but-still-not-a-loss) performance:

Bottom line: win or lose GOP has to be relieved that it's base isn't as depressed as they feared and Trump isn't a drag…for now #ga06 https://t.co/bT9JWSsAua — Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 9:33 P.M.

Whoa:

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877256556601106432

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877256911401488384

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877257437937532930

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877258130207510528

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877263896469483520

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877264805643595776

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877265582793650176

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877266093689253890

https://twitter.com/FalafelDad/status/877272740675416064

UPDATE 9:30 P.M.

And, right on cue, the media starts spinning for the Democrats tonight:

SC a warning sign for Rs. See Kershaw Co (home of Camden!) Trump wins by 15 in Nov Rs only won by 6 tonight 70% white county — Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) June 21, 2017

But upon further inspection, it appears that Ossoff voters are nearly impossible to reach because they are–as Hillary Clinton would say–basement dwellers:

Ossoff Voters Impossible To Reach Because They Live With Their Parents, Democratic Organizer Says https://t.co/9M0oAkLsgK pic.twitter.com/qOSP8rPLoK — The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 9:16 P.M.

Handel opens up a nearly six-point lead now, as things looking bleaker in Georgia for the Democrats. Her 52.6 percent with 96,130 votes leads Ossoff’s 47.4 percent with 86,531 votes, per Decision Desk HQ. Not good for Democrats right now. Our Democrat friend at Ossoff’s HQ tells us that “I love the sofa pundits on Twitter who are saying the Dem Party is done if we lose. This district wasn’t even supposed to be in play. The fact that we are playing it close in deep red districts should make them [worry] heading into 2018.” But Ossoff being down 6 points in Fulton County is not a good spot to be.

UPDATE 9:10 P.M.

Still waiting for mail-in ballots in Georgia:

Karen Handel is up by almost 4,000 votes right now. Waiting for mail-ins, which could be a game changer. — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 21, 2017

But Republican Ralph Norman seems to have pulled off a victory in South Carolina:

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ South Carolina Republican Ralph Norman wins special election to fill House seat vacated by Mick Mulvaney. — Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) June 21, 2017

We project the winner in South Carolina's 5th congressional district will be Ralph Norman (R). pic.twitter.com/BVAgaqCJmQ — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 9:08 P.M.

Whoa, another big pile of votes is in and Handel’s lead widens more. She’s now at 51.9 percent with 85,316 votes compared to Ossoff’s 48.1 percent with 79,121 votes, per Decision Desk HQ.

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), however, seems optimistic at Ossoff HQ.

More Rep. John Lewis @Ossoff: "I have never seen anything like this. This is not just a campaign, it is a movement." — Patricia Murphy (@1PatriciaMurphy) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 9:05 P.M.

Handel’s lead in the latest returns has gotten a bit wider, as she’s now at 51.4 percent with 78,574 votes to Ossoff’s 48.6 percent with 74,276 votes. That slightly-more-than-4,000-vote lead is still tight and this is not over yet.

UPDATE 8:54 P.M.

Over in South Carolina, it’s a lot closer than expected:

35 percent reporting from SC5 – Parnell (D) leads Norman (R) 52-48%. Back stop for Norman may be York County — Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) June 21, 2017

49 percent of precincts reporting in SC5 and Norman (R) leads Parnell (D) by 50.4 to 48.7% — Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) June 21, 2017

No votes reported yet from the Rock Hill, SC area in SC5 – most in from west of US 321 — Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) June 21, 2017

But it does not appear to be close enough, at this time, in either spot–South Carolina or Georgia–for the Democrats:

If Parnell loses #SC05 by 4-5%, lots of Ds will point fingers. But it's possible he's doing well *because* he wasn't hyped, not despite it. — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 21, 2017

Looks like two more huge "moral victories" for Democrats and two more Republicans being sworn into Congress. — Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 8:50 P.M.

An update on where things stand with vote counting:

With about 115K-116K early in-person votes tallied, that leaves 25K or more mail ballots in #GA06 (I think. Based on 140K total early votes) — Scott Bland (@PoliticoScott) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 8:46 P.M.

It’s a little tighter now with a few more thousand votes in, with Handel at 50.8 percent and Ossoff at 49.2 percent. Follow along at Decision Desk HQ. They’re a little faster tonight than others.

UPDATE 8:43 P.M.

Both sides have things to lose after tonight though no matter which way it goes. What a bloody mess.

While we're waiting for the next data dump, here are the national D (https://t.co/5WHPtTS8Z7) & R (https://t.co/KcBMuOyI0Y) worries re #GA06 — Gabriel Debenedetti (@gdebenedetti) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 8:41 P.M.

Former Bernie Sanders spokeswoman is now spinning this as NOT a referendum on Trump, but on healthcare:

Before the hottakes on #GA06 + Trump start rolling, I'd like to note: THIS IS NOT A REFERENDUM ON TRUMP. It's more about health care. — Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) June 20, 2017

So does that mean if Handel wins that Democrats in red states will support efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, or is that just more spin?

UPDATE 8:37 P.M.

Handel has now taken a two point lead per Decision Desk HQ returns numbers, up 51 percent to 49 percent over Ossoff. Her 70,815 votes are a couple grand better than his 68,147 votes.

UPDATE 8:31 P.M.

The most up to date numbers we can find have Handel in the lead, with 68,661 votes and 50.7 percent of the vote, as compared with Ossoff’s 49.3 percent and 66,669 votes. Those are on Decision Desk HQ.

UPDATE 8:27 P.M.

Both Dana Bash and Anderson Cooper, on CNN, say President Trump has every right to take a victory lap if Karen Handel wins.

UPDATE 8:25 P.M.

Now it seems the results are fluctuating,. CNN is reporting a minor lead for Ossoff. We hear from Ossoff’s headquarters people are cheering the results, and chanting “FLIP THE 6th!”

CNN’s numbers have Ossoff with 58,152 votes and Handel with 56,619 votes.

But CNN seems to be behind, since these numbers below have Handel back in the lead barely:

Handel 50.0% 60,718

Jon Ossoff 50.0% 60,712 — Laffy (@GottaLaff) June 21, 2017

It’s going down to the wire:

UPDATE 8:15 P.M.

The race is, as expected, tightening a bit as well. With a little more than 126,000 votes in, Handel still leads with 50.4 percent of the vote to Ossoff’s 49.6 percent.

Our Democrat friend who’s supporting Ossoff tells us that the the person who did the best outreach to seniors likely will win.

UPDATE 8:12 P.M.

Here’s the spin to expect from the left if Handel wins, from a Democrat who’s supporting Ossoff tonight who spoke to Breitbart News on condition of anonymity from the Ossoff party via phone: Democrats believe now they can be competitive in red states and district if they fight, Ossoff won more votes than Democrats historically do in this district, and Ossoff to win the seat needed to avoid the runoff to begin with. Not a good sign for them right now, but again it’s still early.

UPDATE 8:10 P.M.

Not looking good for Democrats at all tonight:

.@Karen Handel says early returns showing her leading Ossoff in 6th District Congressional Runoff a good first sign @FOX5Atlanta #fox5atl — Deidra Dukes (@DeidraDukesFOX5) June 21, 2017

https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/877313609730330624

"Everything we're seeing is really encouraging," says Handel in ATL. "To win in-person absentee voting is very big. Very, very big." #GA06 — Gabriel Debenedetti (@gdebenedetti) June 20, 2017

National Democrats from the DNC are worried this bodes horribly for the midterm elections in 2018, too:

DNC Associate Chair Jaime Harrison, concedes a loss in GA will expose

the party not fully prepared to take back the House. — Helyn Bolanis (@helynbolanis) June 20, 2017

And now the media class is furiously shifting their spin:

The MSM's analysis is laughable tonight: If Ossoff wins, it means ☆☆☆EVERYTHING☆☆☆ If Handel wins, it means whatever.#GA06 — Harlan Z. Hill (@Harlan) June 21, 2017

UPDATE 7:58 P.M.

It’s by no means over. This could swing either way based off these early returns:

Right now the NYT tracker is saying, based on counted votes, that we should end up between Ossoff by 6.5 and Handel by 8. I concur. — Sean T at RCP (@SeanTrende) June 20, 2017

But Handel has already appeared at her event and is very confident based off early results:

1st appearance of Handel at her event. Touting 10k early vote swing from primary. Says everything they're seeing "incredibly encouraging" — Kaylee Hartung (@KayleeHartung) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:54 P.M.

MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki is saying early returns are an “ominous sign” for Ossoff. Meanwhile, the trend line is moving towards Handel:

The NYT's odometer of doom is speaking…. pic.twitter.com/ytZTO6K0Qj — Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:52 P.M.

The Root reporter Jason Johnson, reporting on MSNBC live from Ossoff’s headquarters, is already predicting a Handel win tonight. If she does pull it off, expect the left and media to go absolutely bonkers.

UPDATE 7:50 P.M.

Nate Cohn seems to think earliest returns show good signs for Handel, but this is by no means over.

Handel wins the in-person early vote in Fulton–that's not a bad sign for her. — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) June 20, 2017

Remember, of course, that there's a degree of fungibility in all of this. Does it mean Dems do even better in mail (where Dems are best?) — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:45 P.M.

And, wouldn’t you know, we now have some results per Decision Desk HQ. Handel has an early edge of 3 percent, as she’s up with 51.5 percent to Ossoff’s 48.5 percent. Of the 72,691 votes in, Handel has 37,435 votes and Ossoff has 35,256 votes. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews notes that Handel is expected to do well in the area that’s reporting, Fulton County, so this is not surprising she’s out to an early lead.

UPDATE 7:41 P.M.

Even the Democrats now privately think Handel will beat Ossoff, barely. But nobody is confident:

Folks on both sides of GA-6, privately, think that Handel is gonna win by a hair tonight. But neither side very confident. — Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) June 20, 2017

Democrats have called Breitbart News throughout the day to independently confirm this sentiment, too. We’ll see what happens when the results trickle in shortly.

UPDATE 7:40 P.M.

We know, we know. Polls have been closed for a while and still no actual results. They’re expected around 8 p.m.:

I'm told results page for #GA6 — https://t.co/bLtkzgT3Ci — will go live around 8pm ET — Kaylee Hartung (@KayleeHartung) June 20, 2017

You can, like we are doing, continue refreshing at Decision Desk HQ or at Georgia Secretary of State website. They should start coming in shortly.

UPDATE 7:33 P.M.

Ossoff playing Paula Abdul songs:

Paula Abdul "Straight Up" now on at Ossoff HQ so I guess now they've got ahold of my pre-teen playlist. Waiting for results… — Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:31 P.M.

Here’s a couple looks inside the different headquarters for the two candidates:

I'm at Handel HQ tonight. @brikeilarcnn is at Ossoff HQ. Slightly different setups. pic.twitter.com/UiVETXYRCc — Kaylee Hartung (@KayleeHartung) June 20, 2017

Music slower to start at Handel HQ – and a generation or so later… Lionel Richie, Phil Collins, Stealers Wheel, Beatles. https://t.co/6ar823zOT0 — Kaylee Hartung (@KayleeHartung) June 20, 2017

Meanwhile, Ossoff’s playlist is like the playlist off a 14-year-old girl’s iPod:

Ossoff HQ play list might just be the iPod of a 14 year old girl: Miley "Won't Stop", Nicki Minaj, that Zayn/Taylor 50 Shades Darker song — Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:27 P.M.

Ossoff apparently went out in the rain to greet supporters. Here is a photo:

UPDATE 7:25 P.M.

Hollywood went in big for Ossoff. Now they are thanking him:

Thanks to everyone in #GA06 braving the rain to get out the vote for Jon @Ossoff. 1 more hour until polls close. 1 more hour to #flipthe6th. https://t.co/4TBcRsBWMl — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:17 P.M.

More of what to look for tonight:

Look for Cobb County E-Day results (Handel needs to do well to win) and Fulton County (Ossoff looks to at least tie there) #GA06 https://t.co/MdAFCshLWD — Gabble Gabble Gabble (@gabbilevy) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:15 P.M.

Worth noting that despite all the Hollywood and otherwise-from-outside-the-district cash flowing into Ossoff’s campaign, he can’t even have an open bar for his supporters on election night:

I won't be first or last to tweet this, but the #ga06 candidate who shattered $ records has a cash bar at his victory party. pic.twitter.com/oGmMvGg6nJ — Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) June 20, 2017

Apparently the lefties’ fundraising wunderkind has shunned his supporters like this before:

https://twitter.com/MaddieWAnderson/status/877266923100262400

UPDATE 7:13 P.M.

Republicans mock the fact that Ossoff cannot vote in the district, a key point of this campaign:

UPDATE 7:12 P.M.

Over on MSNBC, Chris Matthews mentions that Democrats have a weak bench at the state and local level–something this election may highlight. He says Democrats have no youngsters “on deck” lined up to back them up down the road.

A great piece from our own Adelle Nazarian highlights this issue:

“In search of a star” – @AdelleNaz makes a great point about the dilemma Dems are facing w/o a face of their party https://t.co/DODgT243CC — America Rising (@ARSquared) June 19, 2017

Ossoff tells supporters to stay in line and vote if they are already in line:

We're not done until every voter in every line has voted. If you're in line by the time polls close, you will be allowed to vote. — Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) June 20, 2017

And, as expected, it’s razor thin to start the night:

UPDATE 7:08 P.M.

Here’s some additional interesting data on the high spending levels in Georgia, particularly that a TV station locally launched another nightly newscast to cash in on all the money:

There was so much spending in GA6 race an Atlanta TV station added an extra 7 pm newscast to profit from the ads https://t.co/77V2OJvJlC — Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) June 20, 2017

Watch the numbers as the returns come in:

Fulton in-person early vote will be interesting to watch as a rough barometer. Big and ~representative. Pbly still biased D but not wildly pic.twitter.com/2H8WhzPVB7 — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) June 20, 2017

Georgia’s sixth district has interesting demographics to be a highly educated district:

The best educated districts in America? Every caricature of the liberal elite, and then Georgia's Sixth https://t.co/8XTTfomKu5 — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) June 19, 2017

And locals feel like out-of-state Democrats are trying to steal election:

#GA6 voter tells @ToddPiro she thinks out-of-state Ossoff backers are trying to steal the election from locals #BreakfastwithFriends pic.twitter.com/GyIMCt0IVl — FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:03 P.M.

While the results are expected to be very close tonight in Georgia’s sixth district, it has traditionally been very Republican. So even if Handel wins, expect Democrats to spin it as a win even if they lose.

GOP margins in GA-6 House races: 1992 +16

94 +28

96 +16

98 +42

99 *

00 +50

02 +60

04 *

06 +45

08 +37

10 *

12 +30

14 +32

16 +24

17 ? — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) June 20, 2017

Ronna Romney McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), on Fox News tonight says she is “cautiously optimistic” that Handel will win tonight. She says the momentum shifted to Handel in the final days, and hammers Ossoff for not being able to even vote for himself since he does not live in the district.

UPDATE 7:02 P.M.

Two polling locations are open for an extra half hour per Fox News, after a judge ordered them to stay open a little longer due to complications.

But Trump supporters are out in force:

"I love Donald Trump. He is awesome." #GA06 voter Joe Webb remains loyal to POTUS despite talk elex is referendum on him @BBCNorthAmerica pic.twitter.com/fCHRHxMTQE — Suzanne Kianpour (@KianpourWorld) June 20, 2017

And here’s more on the rain:

When nature throws a flood warning into your get out the vote efforts. Classic ATL summer storm #GA06 @BBCNorthAmerica pic.twitter.com/KOWyTGrjA4 — Suzanne Kianpour (@KianpourWorld) June 20, 2017

UPDATE 7:01 P.M.

And we are live, the polls are closed in Georgia. Since Ossoff does not actually live in the district, he could not do what Handel did today in the special election where both are candidates: Vote.

For what it’s worth, too, rainstorms in the Atlanta area may have affected election day turnout for both candidates:

Georgia 6th: How the rain could affect turnout for Ossoff, Handel https://t.co/WegtgdiGbF — Jim Galloway (@politicalinsidr) June 20, 2017