Hollywood Uses Georgia Congressional Race to Go to War with Trump

AlyssaMilanoJonOssoff
Twitter/@ChrisGorham
Jerome Hudson

A slew of Hollywood’s most liberal and politically-engaged stars have donated money and their elevated media reach to help elect Jon Ossoff, a Democratic candidate in Georgia’s Sixth District special election, in what has become something of a symbolic show of resistance to Donald Trump’s presidency.

Voters in the suburban Atlanta congressional district will head to the polls Tuesday to replace longtime Congressman Tom Price, who became President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary in February.

The extensive celebrity presence in this relatively small congressional contest appears to underscore just how much Hollywood wants to win against a president that handed them a crushing blow in November.

Some stars, like actor John Leguizamo, believe democracy itself hinges on Tuesday’s special election.

“The end of democracy looks nigh,” the John Wick star told Politico for a feature story about Hollywood’s influence on the Georgia election. “I think we all realize we can’t sit back, we can’t take things for granted. We can’t sit back and hope that somebody else does something, we have to do whatever we can, [so] we all gotta get woke, and that’s the mandate. I wish there were more outspoken celebrities, athletes, artists, people with high profiles.”

Actor Samuel L. Jackson — who previously said he’d leave the country if Trump were elected president — cut a 45-second radio ad endorsing Ossoff, urging Georgia voters to “stop Donald Trump, a man who encourages racial and religious discrimination and sexism.”

On Monday, fierce Trump critic and talk show host Chelsea Handler tweeted, “For everyone in Georgia’s 6th district, tomorrow is a big day. Pls get out and . Let’s send a message tomorrow.”

Handler had previously urged voters to head to the polls on the wrong day.

Apart from their extended reach on social media, Hollywood liberals have opened their wallets to Ossoff, a 30-year-old filmmaker-turned-politician.

Actresses Jane Fonda and Kyra Sedgwick and longtime Law and Order star Sam Waterston have all contributed to Ossoff’s campaign, according to Politico. The candidate has reportedly amassed a hefty $8.3 million from nearly 200,000 donors, with more than 95 percent of those contributions coming from out of state.

Other left-wing stars, like actors Alyssa Milano and Christopher Gorham, have personally driven people to early voting sites for Ossoff.

“It is the seat heard round the world. Everyone is watching. All the recent special elections have taken on a certain symbolism of the resistance,” Milano told Politico.

The Who’s The Boss and Charmed actress also said it is crucial for celebrities to use their fame to fight for the causes they believe in.

“I want people to find what motivates them and if I can be a catalyst for the strength for them to fight for what’s right, then I feel good about what I’m doing,” Milano told the outlet.

 

Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson

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