VALDOSTA — U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff led Lowndes County Democrats in a rally Saturday before they headed into neighborhoods to urge residents to vote for Kamala Harris for president.

Organizers expected 40-60 participants for the rally, but only a portion of those went on the canvass afterwards.

“I’m here because the stakes are so high,” Ossoff told them. “… This is a pivotal moment in American history.”

Ossoff said Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, is unfit to be president again, especially following the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

By contrast, he said, Harris helped pass the bipartisan infrastructure law, and she cast deciding votes for a cap on the price of insulin for seniors and to fight climate change.

“She has used her power to fight for us,” Ossoff said. “The other guy just fights for himself.”

Ossoff told the Democratic Party volunteers that Lowndes County will be critical on election night. He said the “talking heads” on television will be focused on this area to see who wins the presidency.

“Not just Lowndes County is going one way or the other, but Georgia is going one way or the other,” he said. “Not just that Georgia is going one way or the other, but that America is going one way or the other.”

After the rally, Ossoff posed for photos with the canvassers. As they left to carry the message to area residents, he spoke with The Daily Times about priorities other than the election.

Ossoff and Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, have led efforts to get relief for Georgia farmers affected by Hurricane Helene, but Ossoff said the process will take some time. Congress needs damage assessments not only in Georgia but the other states hit by the hurricane Sept. 24-29. He said they’re making progress and hope to have those by mid-November.

After that, Congress must move swiftly and without partisanship to pass the relief package, he said.

“After Hurricane Michael (in 2018) it took two years,” he said. “We can’t do that again.”

The Hurricane Michael relief bill got tangled in the politics of other issues, he said.

Ossoff said Congress has two other big bills on its plate this year that will resonate in South Georgia. The National Defense Authorization Act, which has to be completed by the end of the year, will help set the stage for an F-35 fighter squadron coming to Moody Air Force Base. Lawmakers are also working on a bipartisan farm bill, which Ossoff said is expected to include higher price supports for cotton and peanuts.