What Democrats can learn from Jon Ossoff

Clinton-style campaigns work well in rich areas. They won't in working-class ones.

Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff for Georgia's 6th District special election.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Another special election, another near upset for Democrats. Running against a slew of Republican competitors to replace Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in Georgia's 6th congressional district, Democrat Jon Ossoff fell just short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff. He will now face the second-place finisher, the infamous Karen Handel, on June 20.

It's a good sign for Democrats — and a good test case for the areas of the country where Hillary Clinton did unusually well. But they should be wary before using Ossoff's campaign strategy as a template for the rest of the country. To win in districts President Trump dominated in 2016, Democrats would be well advised to adopt better class politics.

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Ryan Cooper

Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.