Warnock’s win in Georgia makes history. Here are other Black Senators who have served
Rev. Raphael Warnock was declared winner his runoff election in Georgia, marking a historic moment for Black Senators in the United States.
The victory on Tuesday makes Warnock the first Black Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in the South since Reconstruction, ABC News reported. He will also be the first Black Senator to represent Georgia.
Warnock faced off against Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler. The race went into a runoff after no candidate received more than 50% of votes on Election Day in November.
While Warnock has been named the winner of that race, another Georgia contest between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff was too close to be called as of Wednesday morning.
Warnock now joins at least 10 African Americans who have served in the Senate, according to the U.S. government. Here are others who have held seats over the years:
Kamala Harris, a California Democrat, has been a Senator since 2017. She is expected to give up her seat before she is sworn in as vice president later this month.
Cory Booker is a New Jersey Democrat who has held his seat since 2013.
William “Mo” Cowan, a Massachusetts Democrat, served for six months in 2013. It was the first time more than one Black Senator held positions in that chamber of Congress at the same time.
Tim Scott is a South Carolina Republican who has been in the Senate since 2013. He was the first Black Senator to serve a Southern state after Reconstruction.
Roland Burris is a Democrat who represented Illinois in the Senate from 2008 to 2010.
Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat, was in the Senate from 2005 to 2008. He was later elected to two terms as U.S. president.
Carol Moseley Braun is an Illinois Democrat who served from 1993 to 1999. She was the first Black woman elected to the Senate.
Edward Brooke was a Republican who represented Massachusetts from 1967 to 1979. He was the first African-American person chosen by popular vote to serve in that chamber of Congress.
Blanche Bruce, a Mississippi Republican, served in the Senate from 1875 to 1881. State legislators selected him for the position.
Hiram Revels, also a Mississippi Republican, was the nation’s first African-American Senator. He served for a year starting in 1870.
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 10:06 AM with the headline "Warnock’s win in Georgia makes history. Here are other Black Senators who have served."
