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'Democrats are angry': All eyes are on Georgia as the first major referendum on Trump's presidency draws to a close

Republicans play defense as Democrats go on the offense.

Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff speaks to volunteers and supporters at a campaign office as he runs for Georgia's 6th Congressional District in a special election.

The special election is one of the most anticipated in recent memory. It has seen record-high early-voting turnout and garnered over $51 million in spending, making it the most expensive House race in history.

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It has been billed as the first major referendum on Donald Trump's presidency, and an Ossoff win in a traditionally Republican district could foreshadow a tricky electoral landscape for Republicans in the upcoming 2018 midterm elections.

"Republicans won a lot of elections when [former president Barack] Obama was in office, and because of that we're playing defense right now," said Chip Lake, a Republican strategist in Georgia and the former Capitol Hill chief of staff. "When you win a lot of elections, you can only pat yourself on the back for so long before realizing you now have to defend those seats you won."

Both Ossoff and Handel have drawn high-profile endorsements. Ossoff has support from celebrities like Samuel L. Jackson, Chelsea Handler, and George Takei, as well as from groups like the American Nurses Association and Democracy for America. Handel has drawn extensive support from groups like National Right to Life and the US Chamber of Commerce, and from prominent members of the Republican wing, like House Speaker Paul Ryan, Vice President Mike Pence, and President Trump.

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Trump recorded a number of voter-outreach calls urging constituents to cast their ballots for Handel, and he has also tweeted about the race several times, drawing attention to key issues like border security and healthcare reform.

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Trump's combative nature and the controversy surrounding his administration has played a key role in galvanizing the opposition, said Glen Bolger, a longtime Republican pollster and co-founder of the firm Public Opinion Strategies.

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Strategists say that Republicans are caught between a rock and a hard place, with the situation likely exacerbated by a White House that's been taken off course by mounting controversies and internal strife. Trump has had no major legislative achievements five months into his term, and his agenda has been stalled by a number of congressional and FBI investigations into Russian election meddling and the Trump campaign's possible role in it.

As the president has grown increasingly agitated and lashed out in response to the ongoing inquiries, congressional Republican candidates like Handel have seen their own numbers take a hit.

According to an internal GOP poll cited by Politico, increased coverage of the Trump-Russia controversy has coincided with a decrease in Handel's poll numbers. And one private survey, Politico said, saw Trump's approval rating drop from 54% to 45% in the district since February.

In what looks like an acknowledgement of Trump's waning popularity in the area, Handel has said that she is not "an extension of the White House."

Tyler said the Russia controversy could be connected to Handel's decline in the polls because although the 6th district is a traditionally Republican district, it's "a pretty pragmatic and practical district in that they want to see the president and the Republican party move an agenda and get things done."

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If Trump "says things that are destructive to the Republican agenda and he keeps getting distracted by coverage of the Russia story, voters won't like that," Tyler added.

To protect their chances against a Democratic onslaught in upcoming elections, Republicans need to focus on their agenda and the president needs to get on the same page as congressional leaders, Bolger said.

"They need to keep the economy humming along, and the president needs to cut down on the chaos," Bolger said. "There's a lot of uncertainty in the White House, on Twitter, and even in Congress," and that needs to be controlled, he added.

As far as Georgia goes, Republicans are typically favored to win the district because it's an open, suburban seat in the South, which is where the party runs strongest.

"This is important. If we don't win this election, that would be a problem," Lake said.

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