GOP official apologizes for saying Scalise shooting helps party in Ga. election
The chairman of the Republican Party in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District apologized Monday for saying that a shooting at a GOP baseball practice last week would “win” a special congressional election for Republican candidate Karen Handel.
“Politics, human tragedy and violence don’t mix,” Brad Carver said in a statement to Yahoo News. “I should not have said what I said. I apologize for my remarks.”
According to the Washington Post, Carver had also claimed during a get-out-the-vote rally for Handel that “moderates and independents in this district are tired of left-wing extremism” and “the congressional baseball shooting is going to decide the election.”
Last week, a gunman identified as James T. Hodgkinson attacked Republicans at practice for a charity baseball game, injuring five people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, before being slain by Capitol Police.
Carver is not Handel’s only supporter to use last week’s shooting to promote her candidacy. The conservative group Principled PAC released a television ad that linked liberals to the attack. Both Handel and Ossoff condemned the ad.
Tensions surrounding the special election have escalated in the race’s final days. Last week Handel and several of her neighbors reportedly received threatening letters containing a white powder that was later found to be nontoxic.
Voters head to the polls Tuesday in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District, which neighbors Carver’s 11th. Democrats are hoping their candidate, Jon Ossoff, can pull off an upset in the historically Republican district.
With money pouring in from both sides, the House race has become the most expensive in U.S. history, according to CBS News.
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