Georgia runoff results – live: Warnock’s win cements Democrats 2024 blueprint as women celebrate Walker’s loss

Warnock’s victory gives Democrats a 51-49 majority in the Senate

Georgia run-off: Who are Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock?

Democratic incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock sailed to victory over Republican challenger Herschel Walker on Tuesday night as the two candidates went head-to-head in the runoff race for Georgia’s crucial Senate seat.

The race was called in Mr Warnock’s favour at around 10.30pm, sending him to Washington DC for a full six-year term and giving Democrats a 51-49 majority in the Senate.

Following Mr Walker’s defeat, several of his former partners and the football star’s son celebrated the election results.

One woman who had a relationship with him in 2006 told The Daily Beast that it spelled a victory for the many women who had come forward to accuse him of encouraging them to have abortions or of being absent from his children’s lives – claims that directly contradicted the stance Mr Walker ran on.

“The Senate race tonight not only vindicates that democracy has won but the women that he betrayed, have won,” she said.

In a lengthy Twitter thread, Mr Walker’s son Christian Walker also branded his father “pathetic” and claimed that he had ignored everyone but Donald Trump around whether or not he should have ran.

Key points

• How much do Republicans blame Trump for Senate flop?
• Walker’s son blames Trump for ‘demanding’ father run
• Democratic senator Warnock defeats Walker to win Georgia runoff
• Warnock, Walker offer starkly different choices for Black voters as the incumbent races ahead in midterm
• Herschel Walker upset by Obama mocking his vampire vs werewolf debate

[7 December 2022 05:44 · Shweta Sharma]

Herschel Walker delivers concession speech, says ‘do not sop believing in America'

Former football star Herschel Walker conceded his defeat and delivered a speech to his supporters, saying running for the Senate was “the best thing I’ve ever done in my whole entire life”.

“So I want to thank all of you as well, because there’s no excuses in life and I’m not going to making excuses now because we put up one heck of a fight. And I think that’s what, that’s what we got to do, because this is much bigger this is much bigger than Herschel Walker,” he said.

“I want you to continue to believe in this country, believe in our elected officials and most of all, stay together,” he said.

“Don’t let anyone separate you. Don’t let anyone tell you that we can’t, because I’m here to tell you we can.”

He concluded his speech by urging his supporters to “always cast your vote no matter whatever’s happening” and to “never, never, never give up.”

[7 December 2022 05:46 · Shweta Sharma]

Raphael Warnock beats Herschel Walker in Georgia to give Democrats 51-49 Senate advantage

Senator Raphael Warnock triumphed in his second straight runoff in as many years when the Democratic incumbent fended off Republican nominee and college football legend Herschel Walker to give Democrats a 51-49 majority in the Senate.

The candidates faced each other in a runoff election after neither candidate received a majority of the vote in the general election in November. Mr Warnock had previously won a special election to finish the term of retiring Senator Johnny Isakson. He will now serve a full six-year term in the Senate.

Read The Independent’s full report.

[7 December 2022 06:00 · Josh Marcus]

How Donald Trump impacted the Herschel Walker campaign

Donald Trump has played a massive part in Herschel Walker’s campaign, from encouraging the former football star to run, to defending him during an ever-growing list of scandals.

Here’s how The Independent has reported on the relationship between the two men, with all the ups and downs along the way.

[7 December 2022 06:17 · Shweta Sharma]

Biden called Warnock to congratulate him

Joe Biden said on Tuesday night that he called to congratulate Raphael Warnock on his victory.

“Just called @SenatorWarnock to congratulate him on his win,” according to a tweet from the official @POTUS account. “Tonight Georgia voters stood up for our democracy, rejected Ultra MAGAism, and most importantly: sent a good man back to the Senate. Here’s to six more years.”

[7 December 2022 06:29 · Shweta Sharma]

‘What a mess,' Donald Trump reacts to Warnock’s victory

Donald Trump said America is in big trouble as he responded to Democratic senator Raphael Warnock’s victory in the Georgia runoff election.

Herschel Walker, who was one of Mr Trump’s earliest endorsements, conceded defeat tonight.

Posting on his Truth Social website in all caps, Mr Trump said: “OUR COUNTRY IS IN BIG TROUBLE. WHAT A MESS!”

[7 December 2022 06:51 · Shweta Sharma]

Walker’s ex-partners celebrate his defeat

Herschel Walker, whose election campaign was marred by scandals and allegations, suffered defeat at the hands of pastor-turned-Democratic senator Raphael Warnock.

Mr Walker’s former partner has used the opportunity to deride him and celebrate his defeat.

“I am extremely proud of the outcome of this runoff,” said Cheryl Parsa, who claimed to be in a five-year-long relationship with the former football star.

She has alleged he habitually lied, cheated on her, and violently attacked her on one occasion.

“The great people of Georgia deserve better representation in the senate than Herschel Walker, and today they have chosen better”.

Another woman, who was not named, told Daily Beast: “Finally, this violent liar, cheater, adulterer, abuser and deranged, manipulative idiot has been defeated.”

“As a victim of this disgusting liar, I finally feel relieved, vindicated, and not alone.”

She claimed to be in a relationship with him for two years in 1996.

[7 December 2022 07:00 · Josh Marcus]

Walker went nearly two months without answering reporters’ questions

Republican candidate Herschel Walker did not take questions from reporters on the trail for nearly two months as the Georgia Senate race moved toward its conclusion.

John Bowden reports.

[7 December 2022 07:30 · Shweta Sharma]

Herschel Walker’s confounding campaign hits a dead end. What’s next for the GOP football star?

Herschel Walker entered the Georgia Senate race against Senator Raphael Warnock with a stature that few college athletes enjoyed, especially in the Peach State. In 1980, he led the University of Georgia to a national championship, running 1,616 yards, a record for a freshman.

In 1982, he won the Heisman Trophy before he went on to play for the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived United States Football League owned by New York City real estate mogul Donald Trump.

Following the defeat in the state, Mr Walker leaves the Senate race a laughingstock in Republican politics, write Eric Garcia and Andrew Feinberg.

[7 December 2022 07:59 · Josh Marcus]

Walker struggled to explain why Trump didn’t campaign for him

Herschel Walker struggled to explain to why former president Donald Trump did not campaign for him in the final week of Georgia’s Senate runoff race.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked why the former president did not rally with Mr Walker, when former president Barack Obama campaigned with Mr Walker’s Democratic opponent, Senator Raphael Warnock.

Eric Garcia reports.

[7 December 2022 08:30 · Shweta Sharma]

Who are Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock — the two men who ran for Georgia’s Senate seat?

On Tuesday, Georgia held the final Senate contest of the 2022 midterm election when Senator Raphael Warnock and hopeful Herschel Walker faced off each other in a runoff election.

Neither candidate received a majority of the vote in November and Georgia law stipulates that as a result, the two would face each other in a runoff a month later.

The Independent’s Eric Garcia writes their profile.