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Airport chaos puts U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in political hot seat

Politics

Republican rivals are trying to turn Atlanta’s airport meltdown into a weapon.

Travelers line up for security checks at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport during the partial government shutdown. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

One of U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s defining political moments came in 2017, when he rushed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to protest a Donald Trump-backed travel ban.

Nearly a decade later, the world’s busiest airport is again a political battleground — and Ossoff is the one under fire from Republicans.

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Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks to supporters during a rally after he filed paperwork earlier this month to run for reelection. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents monitor sidewalk activity at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

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Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in Georgia are (left to right): U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and Derek Dooley. (AJC file photos)

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Jon Ossoff, center, is flanked by Georgia Reps. John Lewis and Hank Johnson at Atlanta’s airport in 2017, when he was a congressional candidate competing to flip a suburban U.S. House seat in a special election. AJC/Greg Bluestein.

Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

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