Who Is Alisha Kramer, Jon Ossoff’s Fiancée? Meet Georgia Special Election Candidate's Partner

With the runoff election in Georgia’s sixth district fast approaching, all eyes remained on young Democrat Jon Ossoff. Amid a neck-and-neck campaign against Republican Karen Handel, the 30-year-old political newcomer also recently asked his girlfriend to marry him.

Ossoff proposed to his longtime girlfriend Alisha Kramer in early May. The two had been dating for 12 years after attending Georgetown University together. Kramer, 27, is currently a student at Emory University School of Medicine studying obstetrics and gynecology and is set to graduate in 2018.

Read: Who Is Jon Ossoff? Georgia Representative Candidate Faces Smear Ads

The location of Kramer’s school means Ossoff doesn’t actually live within the district in which he’s running. Ossoff told CNN in a May interview they chose to live within walking distance of Emory so that Kramer would have an easier commute, but they planned to move into the district once she graduated.

“I’m a mile and a half down the street to support Alisha while she finishes medical school,” the candidate told CNN. “It’s something I’ve been very transparent about. In fact, I’m proud to be supporting her career. As soon as she finishes her medical training, I’ll be 10 minutes back up the road into the district where I grew up.”

While Kramer and Ossoff began dating at Georgetown, the pair had actually known each other long before college. They both attended Paideia School, a pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. At Georgetown, Kramer received her degree in biology of global health and studied abroad in Denmark. She also later organized and participated in research trips to Botswana, Switzerland, South Africa, Zambia and Ethiopia as part of her work for the Center for Strategic and International Studies Global Health Policy Center.

Ossoff’s opponent Karen Handel congratulated the two on their engagement after it was announced in early May, noting that she had been married to her husband Steve for almost 25 years.

“Steve and I send our congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. Ossoff,” she said in the statement. “We have learned a lot over nearly 25 years of marriage. Having a partner who is the love of your life ultimately makes the hard days better and the journey more complete. Steve and I wish them the best in their future together.”

The outcome of Tuesday’s election remained pure speculation in the hours leading up to it. While earlier polls described the race as a “dead heat,” an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released in early June showed Ossoff with a seven percent margin over Handel. And there’s been no shortage of money poured into both campaigns. Costing a total of $36 million overall, it’s been the most expensive United States House race in history, according to New York Magazine.

Read: How Much Money Is Being Spent In Georgia’s Special Election?

The region has been historically held by Republicans, a challenge for the Democratic newcomer.

“Certainly, I’m the underdog,” Ossoff told the New York Times in March. “But in a special election, energy is everything. There are many in this district who are concerned that the president may embarrass us on the world stage, that he may be incompetent and that he’s dishonest. I share those concerns, but by running a positive campaign focused on core American values, the contrast is obvious.”