“Atlanta, this is not a drill. Atlanta, this is not a bad dream. As citizens, this is the test of our lifetime,” Ossoff challenged the crowd of more than 2,000 at The Eastern near downtown. “So tell me, Atlanta, are you ready to fight?”

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Credit: Jenni Girtman

If divisions between Democrats in Trump’s second term are less about policy stances or ideology and more about how to counter MAGA policies, Ossoff made clear Saturday he backs a head-on, all-out approach to mobilize Democrats desperate to fight back.

His combative speech hinted at a campaign strategy that could electrify the base but also risks alienating potential swing voters. Trump reclaimed Georgia in 2024 by more than 110,000 votes, and Ossoff likely must win over some of those Republican-leaning voters to secure a second term.

But his bet is clear: Energize moderates and liberals while targeting Trump backers suffering from buyer’s remorse. It’s a prospect many in the crowd welcomed, even if it presents daunting challenges.

“We need to rekindle the energy that was sucked out of a lot of us in November,” said Mike Weiss, an attendee who voted for Ossoff four years ago and worries about the “devastating and demoralizing” impact of Trump’s victory.

“The key to this race is going to be getting Democrats who sat out in November and are just unenthused,” said Weiss. “But I have no idea if they’ll be energized this time. Two years is a long time.”

The Kemp factor

It’s a calculated risk for a Democrat considered his party’s most vulnerable Senate incumbent on the 2026 ballot, particularly if he faces Gov. Brian Kemp, who has a proven track record of winning over swing voters.

The second term governor is the GOP’s top recruit for the seat, with state and national Republicans mounting intense pressure for him to run. Kemp aide Cody Hall offered a glimpse of the governor’s potential message, saying Ossoff put “far-left DC politics ahead of what’s best for hardworking Georgians.”

“Today proved Jon Ossoff wants his re-election campaign to be about anything other than his disastrous record in the US Senate,” Hall said shortly after the rally.

But as some insiders doubt Kemp will enter the race, jockeying is already underway among other prominent Republicans, including Insurance Commissioner John King and U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, Rich McCormick and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC

King has already gone on the attack against Ossoff, labeling him as California’s “third senator” for his votes opposing the Trump-backed budget and GOP efforts to ban transgender girls from competing in women’s sports.

And the Senate GOP’s campaign arm said Ossoff’s attempt to turn the midterm election into a referendum on Trump will inevitably backfire.

“Jon Ossoff cares more about hating Donald Trump than delivering for the people of Georgia,” Nick Puglia of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said. “It’s pathetic and in 2026, Georgians will dump Ossoff for a leader who will truly fight for them.”

Echoes of 2020

The echoes of Ossoff’s past campaigns — his failed 2017 special election for the U.S. House that put him on the political map and his doubleheader 2021 runoff win alongside Raphael Warnock — filled The Eastern.

Supporters wore faded campaign shirts of past Ossoff runs and spoke of recapturing the same energy that propelled him and Warnock to victory.

And Warnock, who doesn’t face voters again until 2028, even joked that he was “traumatized” by Saturday’s event because it reminded him of the five times he’s been on Georgia’s ballot since 2020.

“It was two for one,” Ossoff said of that campaign. “The Jewish kid and the Black pastor running together with all of you, alongside one of the most powerful movements in Georgia’s history. And you picked me up. And you picked Raphael up. And you carried us on your shoulders.”

But the two Democrats also spoke of pressing new challenges as Trump flexes his powers across all corners of Washington. Warnock said now is not the time for Democrats to shrink from a fight.

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Credit: Jenni Girtman

“If you make some noise in the streets,” Warnock said, “I promise you, we’ll fight for you in the suites.”

And Ossoff, who just months ago took a wait-and-see approach to Trump’s return to power, struck a more populist theme as he knocked GOP culture wars feuds that have divided Democrats.

“This is why things don’t work for ordinary people. It’s not because of trans kids or woke college students or because of our new archenemy Canada,” he said. “Corruption is why you pay a fortune for prescriptions. Corruption is why your insurance claim keeps getting denied.”

Furthering that theme, the event featured a trio of speakers who said Trump’s policies have already wreaked havoc. One was Kathleen Ethier, who said she strategically retired from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just before Trump took office.

“Taking a wrecking ball to the CDC has real implications for the whole country, but really for Georgia,” Ethier said of the mass layoffs at the agency. “And not just because of the health of Georgians, but for our well being and for our economy.”

As he closed his speech, Ossoff invoked the calling card of his political mentor, the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis. He kicked off his Senate campaign in 2019 at Lewis’ side, and on Saturday he told voters the civil rights icon’s presence still reverberates in his campaign message.

“Atlanta,” Ossoff said, “are you ready to get in good trouble?”

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer