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Georgia's Special Election Isn't Over Yet

Democrat Jon Ossoff won the first round of voting but didn't get the 50 percent of votes necessary to avoid a runoff.

By: Ryan Biek

Posted at 8:55 AM, Apr 19, 2017

and last updated 2017-04-19 08:55:10-04

Jon Ossoff won Georgia's special election Tuesday, but he hasn't secured a spot in the House of Representatives.

The 30-year-old Democrat received the most votes by a long shot in Georgia's 6th District. But because he didn't get at least 50 percent, he now moves on to a runoff election in June against Republican Karen Handel.

The two are fighting for the congressional seat vacated by now-Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price.

Ossoff's win Tuesday was a bit of a surprise. Democrats historically haven't had much success in the district, which sits just north of Atlanta.

But he was helped, in no small part, by a large number of Republicans running. And now that Handel is the only Republican candidate, Ossoff will have a harder time during the second round of voting.