Ossoff, Bottoms rally hundreds in Cobb during early voting weekend
Ossoff and Bottoms campaign in Cobb County
Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms rallied hundreds of supporters at the Cobb County Convention Center to push early voter turnout as state ballot totals crossed 500,000.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms rallied hundreds of supporters in Cobb County on Saturday night, urging Georgians to keep early voting momentum surging as the midterm campaign enters its final stretch.
Rally energizes Cobb as early turnout surges
What we know:
Young drummers kicked off the event in pep rally fashion as a crowd of hundreds packed into the Cobb County Convention Center on Saturday night.
The event took place amid rapid voter participation across the state, with more than 500,000 Georgians already casting early ballots just days after polls opened. Early in-person voting continues across the state through Friday, Oct. 30.
Throughout the evening, both speakers and attendees focused on two primary concerns shaping the statewide races: healthcare coverage and the rising cost of everyday goods.
Bottoms pledged that if elected governor, expanding Medicaid would be her day-one priority to help keep rural hospitals open and lower medical costs. Ossoff focused on household expenses, blaming former President Donald Trump's economic policies for rising prices on gas, groceries, and utilities.
Healthcare access, inflation at forefront
What they're saying:
Voters at the rally shared personal accounts of how state and federal policies directly impact their households. Jackie Reckson, a Georgia mother whose son Aaron lives with a brain disorder, emphasized the vital role public healthcare assistance plays in her family's daily life.
"Four days a week, Aaron goes to a day program that is covered by [the] Medicaid Home and Community Based waiver," Reckson said. "Because of the waiver, Aaron can attend the program that normally costs about $20,000 a year."
For poultry farmer Julian Marcus, escalating operating expenses and fuel costs drove him to the rally. Marcus said rising prices on essential farm supplies have created severe financial strain for local growers.
"The cost of diesel, the cost of propane, and fertilizer all add up," Marcus explained. "When those costs rise, farmers feel it immediately. My farm relies on diesel and propane for daily operations, but prices have skyrocketed."
Taking the stage to loud applause, Bottoms tied those voter concerns directly to the governor's race, promising immediate executive action on healthcare.
"On day one, I’m going to get to work on expanding Medicaid," Bottoms said. "So that we can protect our hospitals and help more Georgians afford the healthcare that they need and deserve."
She brought the crowd to its feet before relinquishing the microphone, urging supporters to sprint through the final stretch of early voting.
Ossoff echoed those economic concerns, challenging the opposition's campaign promises on inflation and household costs.
"Remember, they promised to lower prices on day one," Ossoff told the arena. "Instead, under the failed presidency of Donald J. Trump, it costs more than ever in American history to fill up your trucks, stock up your fridge, visit the doctor, or power your home."
Pointing to the statewide early voting numbers, Ossoff urged volunteers and voters to maintain their intensity through Election Day.
"See, Georgia, a wave is building," Ossoff said. "A kind of wave that comes once a generation when the people have been pushed too far and say, 'Enough is enough.' We have 17 days, the polls are open."
Suburban battleground
Dig deeper:
The joint appearance underscores close coordination between Ossoff and Bottoms as the top of the Democratic ticket works to drive turnout in suburban battlegrounds like Cobb County.
Ossoff faces a tightly contested re-election campaign as the only Democratic senator defending a seat in a state Trump won in 2024.
The Cobb County rally follows a major push by Republicans on Friday, when U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins and gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson held their first joint appearance of the fall, campaigning alongside Trump in Dalton to boost GOP turnout.
Ossoff's campaign has sharply criticized Collins in recent weeks over controversial campaign appointments and an ongoing House Ethics Committee review involving Collins' former chief of staff.
What we don't know:
Venue management at the Cobb Galleria Centre has not released an exact final attendance count.
The Secretary of State's office has not released county-by-county breakdowns for Saturday's turnout numbers.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by official media advisories and campaign releases from the Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms campaigns and on-scene reporting from FOX 5's Larry Spruill.