Where do the results of the Georgia runoffs stand? Here’s what we know
Democrats are projected to clinch both of Georgia’s runoff races for U.S. Senate and to gain control of the chamber.
Rev. Raphael Warnock was projected early Wednesday to win his runoff race over Republican incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler — making history as Georgia’s first Black U.S. Senator.
The Associated Press called the state’s other runoff for Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff over Republican Sen. David Perdue Wednesday afternoon after the race was too close to call most of the day.
The pair of races went to runoffs after none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote in the November election as required by state law.
Prior to the runoffs, Democrats had 48 seats in the Senate. Now, with Ossoff and Warnock’s projected victories, the Senate would be split 50-50. In that scenario, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would serve as the tie breaking vote and give Democrats control of the chamber.
Control of the Senate would further allow Democrats to set the agenda in Washington, as the party already has a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and President-elect Biden is set to be sworn into office later this month.
Ossoff initially posted a video to Twitter on Wednesday morning thanking his supporters.
“It is with humility that I thank the people of Georgia for electing me to serve you in the United States Senate. Thank you for the confidence and trust that you have placed in me,” he said.
Warnock acknowledged his historic victory in a video Wednesday.
“The other day, because this is America, the 82-year-old hands that used to pick somebody else’s cotton went to the polls and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator,” he said of his mother. “I come before you tonight as a man who knows that the improbable journey that led me to his place in this historic moment in America could only happen here.”
Loeffler, however, has yet to concede to Warnock.
“We’ve got some work to do here. This is a game of inches. We’re going to win this election,” she said in a message to supporters around midnight, according to the AP.
Perdue’s campaign released a statement Tuesday saying they believe he “will be victorious” in the end.
“As we’ve said repeatedly over the last couple weeks and as recently as this evening, this is an exceptionally close election that will require time and transparency to be certain the results are fair and accurate and the voices of Georgians are heard,” the statement said.
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 9:12 AM with the headline "Where do the results of the Georgia runoffs stand? Here’s what we know."
