Democratic Party Georgia Senate contender Raphael Warnock defeated Republican Herschel Walker in the runoff vote on Wednesday. The Associated Press called the election earlier on Tuesday (local time).
Warnock won the elections winning 51.3% of the votes polled.
Georgia sent Warnock to the upper chamber of the US Congress for a full term and handed Democrats a majority in the Senate. The Republicans control the House.
The senior pastor from the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta defeated the former American football player Walker, who was also backed by the former US president Donald Trump.
A runoff election was fought between the two Black American candidates because no candidate reached the 50% threshold during the midterm elections in November.
Warnock’s win also shows that Democrats defied expectations and made more gains in the elections compared to the Republican party.
The Republican party felt rising inflation, gas prices and the historical midterm elections trend which usually punishes the party in the White House, would lead to a red wave but none of that happened.
Joe Biden, the US President, appeared confident even before the Associated Press, NBC and CNN called the race and appeared to shout back at a pool of mediapersons: “We’re going to win in Georgia.”
According to a report by AFP, Biden urged voters in Georgia on Monday to head to the polling booth to cast their ballots for the Democratic contender.
Georgia is a historically Republican state but surprised the US in the 2020 elections when it voted for Biden.
It surprised the US once more by choosing the pastor for its Senate seat.
The pastor who faced tough competition from Walker got help from former US president Barack Obama who campaigned alongside him.
The campaigning costs for the Georgia Senate exceeded $400 million, making it the costliest.
Democrats will have a majority in all committees which means it will be easier for them to advance President Biden’s nominees.
Warnock has won two Senate races in less than two years. He earlier defeated Kelly Loeffler in January 2021.
However, Georgia has the capability to surprise Democrats as well as it reelected governor Brian Kemp, handing a defeat to Stacey Abrams.
(with inputs from the Hill)
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