Trump chimes in on Georgia congressional election as cash flows to help — or stop — a 30-year-old Democrat

President Donald Trump is not the only national figure weighing in on the special House election in a red Georgia district — the race has attracted more money and attention than the area ever has.

Trump jabbed at 30-year-old Democratic House candidate Jon Ossoff in a Monday tweet, saying the "super liberal Democrat" wants to "protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes." The president's attack comes with Ossoff leading polls in an 18-candidate field as he tries to flip the traditionally Republican seat vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

The Georgia 6th District election, one of the first for Congress in the Trump era, has attracted more cash from around the country than the district has ever seen. Almost all of that money has gone toward helping — or directly opposing — Ossoff, a former congressional aide.

A mysterious candidate named Rodney Stooksbury spent just $346 to win more than a third of the votes cast in the 2016 general election for the seat. The crowded field in Tuesday's election would love that kind of return on investment.

As of March 29, Ossoff had raised $8.3 million and spent $6.1 million — more than double the highest amount Price spent in any one of his seven election campaigns there. The sum does not include funds raised in the more than two weeks since.

Price first won the House seat in 2004 and never spent more than $2.5 million in an election. Ossoff's haul is all the more remarkable because Price was no slouch with spending — he spent more than the average Republican and Democratic House incumbent in 2016.

The candidates to replace Price include Ossoff and several Republicans, former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, businessman Bob Gray and former state Sens. Judson Hill and Dan Moody. Most recent polls have shown Ossoff with roughly 40 percent of support, with the four Republicans trailing him holding more than 50 percent of the support, combined.

Ossoff has easily outraised his opponents. As of March 29, Handel raised about $463,000, Hill garnered about $473,000 and Moody about $108,000.

If no candidate in Tuesday's election wins 50 percent of the vote, it goes to a June runoff. The top two candidates will advance regardless of party. Ossoff would face a much tougher task in a runoff, as support would likely coalesce around a Republican.

The high-profile contest, which some see as an early test of whether Democrats can flip Republican districts in the Trump era, has sparked the interest of outside groups, as well. It is one of four special elections in which a red seat is up for grabs, vacated by a Trump nominee.

Republicans held off the first major House challenge in Kansas' red 4th District, as the GOP's Ron Estes beat Democrat James Thompson by 7 points last week. Still, some Democrats are upbeat about the margin, as new CIA Director Mike Pompeo, whose nomination as CIA director opened up the seat, won the district by 31 points last year.

The activity from big-money interest groups on both the right and left underscores the national attention on the special elections as the Georgia race comes into focus. Several groups dedicated to keeping the Republican House majority, as well as wings of the National Rifle Association and Planned Parenthood, among other organizations, have funneled nearly $8 million into the race.

At least $4.5 million of that was spent to oppose Ossoff, who has led most polling in the race, partly because of fractured support among Republicans. Ads targeting Ossoff have claimed he lacks experience and is too closely tied to top Democrats.

One even hit him for dressing up as "Star Wars" character Han Solo when he was in college. Another tied Ossoff to terrorist groups, even including an image of Osama bin Laden, because his filmmaking company reportedly produced documentaries for news outlet Al Jazeera.

There is nothing to indicate that Ossoff has any ties to terrorist organizations. His campaign manager Keenan Pontoni called the ad a "smear attack" and said it was "truly shameful."

In a statement, he said Ossoff is "proud of his work as an investigative filmmaker."

All the more unusual is the Hollywood attention Ossoff has attracted. Actor Jon Cryer and comedian Chelsea Handler both donated $2,700 to his campaign, and actress Alyssa Milano has publicly supported him, prompting an attack from Handel.

Trump won the 6th district by only 1.5 points last year. Still, Price got more than 60 percent of the vote there in 2016.