Perdue, Ossoff second Georgia Senate race headed to a runoff election
Incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff are headed to a runoff election, meaning Georgia will host two contests in January where the balance of power in the Senate could be at stake.
The Associated Press called the runoff election just after 10 p.m. Friday.
Georgia had several thousand votes left to count, including thousands of provisional ballots. Perdue led Ossoff 1.94% (2,453,679 votes to 2,357910) but had less than 50% of the vote. To avoid a runoff, a candidate must achieve at least 50%, plus one vote.
Both the Republicans and Democrats were projected to have 48 Senate seats heading into Friday evening, with four seats up for grabs. A sweep by either party of Georgia’s two Senate seats would swing control to that party.
Friday morning, Ossoff spoke to supporters in Atlanta’s Grant Park.
“When Congressman [John] Lewis marched across that bridge 55 years ago to demand the sacred right to vote for all Americans, it was so that we the people could decide who represents us; could demand that our interests, our health, our prosperity, our rights, be upheld, respected and expanded, so that we could have moments like this one, where Georgians in their millions have said ‘Enough,’” Ossoff said.
“Enough incompetence, division, corruption. Change has come to Georgia. Change is coming. And retirement is coming for Sen. David Perdue.”
Perdue’s campaign manager Ben Fry said his candidate would be reelected to Senate.
“Perdue will finish this election in first place with substantially more votes than his Democrat opponent,” Fry said in a statement before the runoff was announced. “If overtime is required when all of the votes have been counted, we’re ready, and we will win.”
The runoff election is scheduled for Jan. 5. Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock are also competing in a runoff election for Georgia’s other federal Senate seat.
This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 9:12 PM.