Priciest House Race in History Is Too Close to Call

Voters in Georgia will decide on Tuesday whether Democrat Jon Ossoff or Republican Karen Handel will fill a congressional seat for suburban Atlanta, a race that has turned into the most closely watched contest since the presidential election. In fact, when factoring in money spent by the campaigns, their parties, and various super PACs, the race is now the most expensive one for a House seat ever waged, with the total north of $50 million, reports CNN. The seat has long been held by Republicans, but the 30-year-old Ossoff is hoping to change that in Tuesday's runoff vote. His chances? Too close to call. The latest poll by WSB-Landmark Communications has Ossoff at 49.7% and Handel at 48%, with just 2.3% undecided. Other polls show similarly tight margins.

“It's all well within the margin of error,” one pollster, Matthew Towery, tells Politico. "I'd say the preponderance of evidence suggests that Ossoff has a very, very slight lead. But it really is a coin flip right now." One factor in the outcome might be whether Ossoff can energize young voters enough to come out in a non-presidential race, notes Politico. If early voting is any indication, turnout will be extraordinarily high. More than 140,000 Georgians had cast their ballots by Friday's early-vote deadline, far eclipsing the 57,000 who voted early in the primary. The winner will fill the seat vacated by Tom Price when he left to become President Trump's secretary of Health and Human Services. (More House race stories.)