One of Georgia House Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff's supporters flew out to volunteer from Berkeley, California, MSNBC's Kasie Hunt reports, showing again the degree to which outside influence is driving the congressional race.
In a report airing Monday, Hunt highlighted that Ossoff's support, both in terms of money and volunteers, comes primarily from out of state.
"We talked to a volunteer," Hunt said, "who came in from Berkeley, California." She further explained that, "he said he bought his ticket on Valentine's Day to come in and help Jon Ossoff."
Ossoff's campaign claimed that the degree of out-of-state volunteering is outmatched ten to one by local volunteers. He is running in Georgia's sixth district, which hasn't had a Democratic congressman in decades.
The alleged difference between in-state and out-of-state volunteers is the opposite of the difference in donations that Ossoff has received from in and out of the state. According to Ossoff's recent FEC filing, of the $8.3 million he has raised in the first quarter, a full 95 percent came from out of the state.
Ossoff is running to replace Tom Price, who resigned the congressional seat when he became Secretary of Health and Human Services. As of Monday morning, he remains in the lead in several polls, but below the 50 percent threshold he needs to avoid a run-off against the second-place finisher.
Ossoff has been attacked previously for his out-of-state support, especially from celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Chris Gorham. He has also drawn fire for not actually living in Georgia's sixth district. He lives about ten minutes south, and claims that he lives there so that his girlfriend can walk to her medical school classes.