Georgia Senate election results: Jon Ossoff declared runoff winner as ‘militia gathers’ at state Capitol

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Related video: Georgia election official debunks one Trump conspiracy theory after another

Democrats took control of the Senate after Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock defeated Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler by razor-thin margins.

The victories were overshadowed by riots in Washington DC as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an effort to stop the count of the Electoral College votes declaring Joe Biden as president elect.

The chaos spread to Georgia as governor Brian Kemp and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger were reportedly evacuated after a 'militia' gathered outside the state Capitol.

Mr Ossoff, 33, becomes the youngest man to enter the Senate since president-elect Joe Biden did so himself in 1973 while Reverend Warnock becomes the state’s first black senator and only the second black senator elected to represent a former Confederate state.

Their wins mean that both parties have 50 senators each, leaving the deciding vote in legislative matters with vice president-elect Kamala Harris and seeing Mitch McConnell deposed as majority leader.

• Washington DC riots - live: ‘Shots fired’ heard on police radio as armed Trump supporters storm Capitol
• Militia members gather outside the Georgia Capitol as pro-Trump rioters storm Washington DC over Democrat win
• Romney blames Trump for inciting ‘insurrection’ as lawmakers plead with violent rioters to disperse from Capitol
• Armed pro-Trump rioters breach US capitol as lawmakers shelter in place

Key Points

• Huge victory for Democrats as they flip the Senate, giving Biden one-party control
• Ossoff beats Perdue and Democrats flip Senate
• Militia members are gathering outside the Georgia Capitol
• Obama invokes John Lewis and Stacy Abrams in in Georgia runoff results
• Biden cheers Senate runoff wins
• Warnock beats Loeffler to hand Democrats victory

[6 January 2021 05:14 · Alex Woodward]

Warnock to deliver election night remarks

Raphael Warnock is scheduled to deliver remarks momentarily, after several outlets and election analysts have projected him to win his race against incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler.

The remarks will be livestreamed at warnockforgeorgia.com/live.

[6 January 2021 05:15 · Alex Woodward]

Both Georgia Senate races too close to call but Democrats surge

In a repeat of November’s presidential election there, both Georgia Senate runoff elections that will decide which political party controls the Senate were too close to call as Tuesday became Wednesday – but late surges appeared to put both Democratic candidates in the driver’s seat.

Here’s the latest from Washington’s John T Bennett and Griffin Connolly: 

[6 January 2021 05:35 · Alex Woodward]

What did turnout look like?

More than 4.3 million voters cast ballots in the Georgia Senate runoffs – and nearly half of those ballots came from early voting.

Of the vote total, more than 1.2 million people voted on Election Day, and nearly 1 million people sent mail-in ballots, thus far.

Massive turnout among Black voters was crucial to Democrats’ performance; Republican candidates could not seize the same kind of enthusiasm and fell short of turnout from November’s general election, when Donald Trump was also on the ballot.

[6 January 2021 05:41 · Alex Woodward]

‘This is a game of inches’: Loeffler optimistic despite Warnock’s projected victory

Kelly Loeffler, addressing the GOP’s largely maskless election night party:

Meanwhile, Raphael Warnock is addressing Americans from home, via livestream:

[6 January 2021 05:45 · Alex Woodward]

Warnock: ‘I will fight for you’

In his election night address, Raphael Warnock said the results – which analysts say will propel him into the US Senate as Georgia’s first Black Senator – proved that “with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible.”

"We were told that we couldn’t win this election," he said. "May my story be an inspiration to some young person who is trying to grasp and grab hold to the American Dream.”

He reached out to people who are “struggling … whether you voted for me or not.”

“I hear you, I see you, and every day I'm in the United States Senate, I will fight for you,” he said. "I will fight for your family."

[6 January 2021 06:01 · Adam Withnall]

Democrat Warnock claims victory

[6 January 2021 06:20 · Alex Woodward]

Is Joe Manchin America’s most powerful senator? What really happens with 50-50 Senate tie?

With Democrats on the cusp of winning a pair of Senate runoff races in Georgia on Tuesday – and taking back control of the chamber – political commentators have already begun speculating on how much President-elect Joe Biden can do with a united government.

That could hinge on the decisions over the next several months of one man: West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin III.

Griffin Connolly reports:

[6 January 2021 06:41 · Adam Withnall]

Ossoff team: We fully expect to have won

Jon Ossoff’s campaign manager Ellen Foster has just released this statement:

"When all the votes are counted we fully expect that Jon Ossoff will have won this election to represent Georgia in the United States Senate. The outstanding vote is squarely in parts of the state where Jon's performance has been dominant.

“We look forward to seeing the process through in the coming hours and moving ahead so Jon can start fighting for all Georgians in the US Senate.”

[6 January 2021 06:52 · Adam Withnall]

Democrat Ossoff ‘leading’

After marginally trailing his Republican rival David Perdue for most of tonight’s count, Jon Ossoff has now taken the lead, according to the latest figures from Edison Research. With 98 per cent of votes counted, the Democrat is ahead by 3,500 votes. Neither race has yet been called.

[6 January 2021 06:59 · Adam Withnall]

US media calling Warnock victory

It’s looking good for Democrat Raphael Warnock. Several major outlets - NBC, CBS and Edison Research - are now calling the result in his favour. The Associated Press is yet to do so, however.