Republican Georgia Sen. David Perdue will be quarantining after coming into close contact with a campaign staff member who later tested positive for coronavirus, NBC News reported Thursday.
“This morning, Senator Perdue was notified that he came into close contact with someone on the campaign who tested positive for COVID-19,” a Perdue campaign spokesperson said in a statement, according to NBC News.
New: David Perdue is quarantining after coming into close contact with someone on the campaign who tested positive for COVID-19. The Georgia runoffs are in 5 days.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 31, 2020
“Both Senator Perdue and his wife tested negative today, but following his doctor’s recommendations and in accordance with CDC guidelines, they will quarantine. The Senator and his wife have been tested regularly throughout the campaign, and the team will continue to follow CDC guidelines. Further information will be provided when available,” the statement went on to say, NBC News reported. (RELATED: Biden, Trump Will Both Be In Georgia The Day Before Critical Senate Runoffs)
Perdue is locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff as the Jan. 5 election date for the Georgia senate runoffs approaches. Because of his decision to quarantine, Perdue will be missing crucial time campaigning before the Tuesday runoffs. Perdue was expected to appear at a Jan. 4 rally with President Donald Trump and Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who is facing Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock in a runoff of her own.
In the November election, Perdue bested Ossoff by just more than 88,000 votes, or 1.8%, according to The New York Times, but did not receive enough votes to get him over the 50% plus one vote standard in Georgia to avoid a runoff.
In order for Republicans to maintain their majority in the Senate, Republicans must at least win one of the two senate runoffs in Georgia.