Democratic Candidates Ossoff and Rev. Warnock Win Georgia Runoffs

Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock have won their Senate races in the state of Georgia. With millions of ballots cast in their favor, the two managed to unseat incumbent Republicans Sen. David Perdue and Sen. Kelly Loeffler.

The two wins make history in several ways, with Ossoff as Georgia’s first Jewish senator and Rev. Warnock as Georgia’s first Black senator. These candidates are also the first Democrats to win Senate seats in Georgia since the 2000 special election.

This year’s Georgia runoff races have decided which party is in control of the Senate. The Republican Party has held a majority in the Senate since 2015, but a Democratic win in these Georgia races breaks that streak. Since both Republican incumbents were ousted by Democratic Party challengers, their party has now lost the Senate majority. That is because, in the case of a 50-50 split, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is the deciding vote. 

Winning control of the Senate is particularly significant for the Democratic Party. It builds onto voting power already established in the House of Representatives, starting with the newfound ability to control what legislation is voted on in the Senate. It is also likely to play a role in what the Biden administration is able to accomplish in the foreseeable future.

Though this win is an accomplishment in and of itself, the Supreme Court is still controlled by conservative judges in a 6-3 split. That may become a problem for the Biden administration, and questions remain as to how the ideological contrast will be managed.

Another notable consequence of this Senate shift is prominent Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell losing his role as majority leader. It will be passed on to Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who currently serves as the Senate minority leader. This idea has been met with enthusiasm from many Democrats, including 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In a January 6th tweet, she wrote only “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.”

Senators-elect Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff have also expressed their excitement to get to work. A photo tweeted on January 6th by Rev. Warnock shows him and Ossoff. It is captioned with a single word: “Together.”