Nunn seeks the offensive in final debate

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Michelle Nunn sought to go on the offensive Sunday in a final debate against Republican businessman David Perdue, who repeatedly painted her as an ally of President Obama.

{mosads}While the hourlong debate saw both candidates land punches, Nunn kept up the pressure by quickly pivoting each issue to Perdue and addressing him directly.

“You want to be a rubber stamp for [Washington] gridlock,” Nunn said at one point while promising to work across the aisle.

Perdue returned fire by labeling Nunn as a Washington Democrat who supports bad policy and tying her to the president. “In Georgia, [Obama’s] policies go by the name of Michelle Nunn,” he said several times.

The race is down to the wire and could help decide which party controls the Senate next year. A new poll released Sunday by NBC News found Perdue leading Nunn 48 percent to 44 percent, echoing a RealClearPolitics polling average that has Perdue up by 1.8 percent.

Nonetheless, many analysts believe that neither candidate will receive more than 50 percent of the vote on Nov. 4, forcing the race into a January run-off that would draw national attention and millions of dollars from each side.

Part of this dynamic is Libertarian candidate Amanda Swafford, who is expected to draw votes away from Perdue. She defended her choice to stay in the race on Sunday, arguing that neither candidate has been “substantive” on the issues.

The conversation ranged from Perdue’s prior comment that he spent “most of [his] career” outsourcing, to Nunn’s support for ObamaCare and her decision to invoke President George H.W. Bush, a Perdue supporter, in campaign ads.

In a statement on the debate, EMILY’s List, a group that backs women candidates who support abortion rights, blasted Perdue as a “broken record of misleading attacks and empty rhetoric.”

“He hid from his record of outsourcing jobs, and repeatedly changed the subject when asked about ending gender discrimination in pay and raising the minimum wage. Georgia women and families deserve honest answers and strong, pragmatic leadership, but David Perdue offered neither,” said EMILY’s List Communications Director Jess McIntosh in a statement.

The Perdue campaign, meanwhile, offered a confident prediction that “Georgians will elect David Perdue to the United States Senate” on Tuesday.

“With so little time left in the campaign, one would think Michelle Nunn would want to clarify for voters where she actually stands on the issues that impact their lives,” said Perdue spokeswoman Megan Whittemore. “Instead, she again focused her time trying to tear David down with false, personal attacks.”

— This report was updated at 1:16 p.m.