Rep. Tom Cole: Georgia Special Election Was About Trump

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., says the Georgia special election for the House was a referendum on President Donald Trump.

Democrat Jon Ossoff fell just shy of the 50 percent needed to win and will now face Republican Karen Handel in a runoff.

"It tells me first that this race was much more about the president than it was about any of the candidates," Cole said on CNN.

Republicans had been hoping to keep Ossoff under the required 50 percent and force a runoff for the seat vacated by Tom Price, who is now secretary of Health and Human Services, the Washington Examiner noted.

"We needed everything to go right last night and, frankly, it did," Cole said on CNN. "And, the president was a big part of that."

He added: "We did what we had to do. They didn't win."

The Examiner said that if the GOP eventually retains Price's old seat, it is a sign the anti-Trump movement does not translate into political power for Democrats.

"This is the kind of seat Democrats would and should focus on, and where they need to win," Cole said. "Last night they weren't able to do that."

• Sen. Graham: Ossoff a 'Wake-Up Call' For Republicans in the South
• Ossoff Pressed on Living Outside District, Being Ineligible to Vote