Source: Michael M. Santiago / Getty
Georgia became the epicenter of U.S. politics on Tuesday (Jan. 5) as a pair of runoff elections would help determine which political party would control the U.S. Senate and Congress for at least the next two years. Rev. Raphael Warnock defeated Sen. David Perdue to become the state’s first Black senator and all signs point to Jon Ossoff becoming the state’s first Jewish senator.
On the heels of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris defeating President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, the balance of control of the U.S. Congress hinged on the critical Georgia races, which would give the Democratic Party full control of both chambers. Warnock, who is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, is also the first Georgia Democratic Party senator in two decades, and just the 11th Black senator in Senate history.
Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed to the seat by Gov. Brian Kemp after retired senator Johnny Isakson stepped down in 2019 due to health reasons. It was assumed by most analysts and observers that her opponent in Warnock would face a tough challenge in a Republican stronghold state but a strong campaign lead by a series of community organizers, including former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, helped the pastor edge the incumbent senator by a slim but notable margin.
Ossoff, who made his mark as an investigative journalist, faced a tough challenge as a young candidate against incumbent David Purdue but all signs are pointing to the fact that he too will emerge victorious in the end as vote tallies are still coming in as of Wednesday (Jan. 6) morning. Ossoff’s win would make him Georgia’s first Jewish senator in history and would be the final move in the Biden administration presiding over a Democratic Party-led Congress.
It should be noted that while the Democratic Party’s lead will a slight one, there are members of the party fearful of sweeping liberal agendas and will push back on some measure. However, President-elect Biden promises to work with the other side of the aisle for the good of the country and hopefully salvage the rift between elected officials and the voting public to boot.
Hop to the 3:33-mark to see Senator-elect Raphael Warnock speak on his tremendous win.
LIVE: Reverend Warnock Addresses Supporters on Election Night https://t.co/3AjHzC35qy
— Senator-Elect Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) January 6, 2021
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Photo: Getty
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