Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel said that Republicans “cannot allow the Democrats to sneak in and steal” the congressional seat vacated by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price during an interview Monday on “The Laura Ingraham Show.”

Handel, the Republican front-runner in a crowded field of 18 candidates vying for the open seat in the Atlanta suburbs, told LifeZette Editor-in-Chief Laura Ingraham the special election matters because it is one of those “wide-open primaries” where both Democrats and Republicans appear simultaneously on the ballots. With 11 Republicans, five Democrats, and two independents on the ballot, the GOP has a higher risk of losing the seat.

“Anything can happen when you have a field that big. Again, we don’t want to leave anything to chance.”

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“The Democrats are pumping in a lot of money, sending the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] and sending volunteers down,” Handel admitted. “So, it’s certainly a possibility for a Democrat to make it in that runoff.”

Democrats have not won an election in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District since before former House Speaker Newt Gingrich succeeded John James Flynt Jr. in 1979. Democrats hope a surprise victory is possible with the unpredictable turnout of a special election.

“What I know is this, is that we need to have the strongest, best positioned candidate in the run-off to beat the Democrats. And that’s going to be me with the track record of really being a courageous leader who’s unafraid to act,” Handel said.

“And we cannot allow the Democrats to sneak in and steal this seat,” Handel added. “Anything can happen when you have a field that big. Again, we don’t want to leave anything to chance.”

Ingraham agreed, saying, “The Republicans have to play smarter than that. Let the Democrats divide their vote up.”

Saying she aligns with President Donald Trump on many key issues, Handel emphasized the dire need for the country to get serious about border security and legal immigration abuse.

“When we talk about homeland security, I don’t see how we can ever have true homeland security without securing our borders,” Handel said. “And that means not just the southern border, but having the right processes to be able to follow-up on individuals who do come here on a legal visa but then skip out.”

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“So I think it’s important for us to have very strong, aggressive enforcement in this area so that we can make sure that we have true homeland security,” Handel added.

Now is the time for action, Handel said. With GOP control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, Republicans have no excuses.

“We’ve had eight years for Republicans to talk about everything that they want to do, and it’s now time to deliver,” Handel said. “And that’s only going to happen with individuals who are strong and unafraid in the face of opposition coming at them.”