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
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
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.
How the AP called the Georgia runoff for Warnock
Here’s how the Associated Press decided when to call the results of the election.
Why AP called the Georgia Senate runoff for Warnock
There weren't enough uncounted votes in Republican-leaning areas for Republican challenger Herschel Walker to make up his runoff election night gap with incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock
What next for Walker?
After a bitterly fought campaign ended in a loss, what is next for the man dubbed the greatest college football player of all time after he dabbled in politics?
Eric Garcia and Andrew Feinberg report.
Herschel Walker’s campaign hits a dead end. What’s next for the GOP football star?
The former University of Georgia running back is perhaps the greatest college football player of all time. He leaves the Senate race a laughingstock in Republican politics Eric Garcia and Andrew Feinberg report
A 51-seat Senate for Democrats, and much more
Sen. Raphael Warnock’s victory in swing-state Georgia gives Democrats a welcome “lift,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday at the Capitol -- newly confident of sidelining Trump-inspired Republicans in Congress and reaching across the aisle to other GOP lawmakers to deliver on bipartisan priorities with President Joe Biden.
“If we can get some bipartisan things done, it will of course be better for the country. And it will be better for the Republican Party,” he said.
Warnock delivers 51-seat Senate for Democrats, and much more
Raphael Warnock’s victory in swing-state Georgia gives Senate Democrats a 51-49 majority
Majorie Taylor Greene thinks she knows what Walker campaign’s major mistake was
Not enough Marjorie Taylor Greene., apparently.
Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked for saying Walker’s ‘major mistake’ was not using her
Greene claimed it was an insult to her
How much do Republicans blame Trump for Senate flop?
Eric Garcia investigates after the Georgia runoff rounds out a painful midterms season for Senate Republicans.
Republicans ‘disappointed’ after Georgia Senate flop but most won’t blame Trump
Herschel Walker’s loss in Georgia caps off a painful midterm for Senate Republicans
Watch: Who is Senator Raphael Warnock?
Who is Georgia senator Raphael Warnock?
Democrat Raphael Warnock won the Georgia runoff against GOP candidate Herschel Walker on Tuesday, 6 December. Born in Savannah, the senator began his professional career ordained in the ministry, and has served for more than 16 years as a senior pastor at a church in Atlanta. Mr Warnock made his first foray into politics by becoming a leader in the campaign to expand Medicaid in Georgia. In 2021, Mr Warnock was elected to the Senate as the first Black Democratic senator in the south. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Voices: Georgia Senate runoff proves once and for all that candidate quality matters
Ahmed Baba writes:
Once again, we’re closing out election season with a Georgia runoff. And, once again, Democrats delivered a historic victory that further shifted power in the Senate and dealt a devastating blow to the Republican Party and Trumpism.
The dynamics of this race were clear. Candidate quality matters.
Read on:
Georgia Senate runoff proves once and for all that candidate quality matters
Democrats can look forward to 2024 knowing they have a winning formula against an increasingly extremist Republican Party
Klain hails Democrat success in midterms
Following the Democratic Party’s midterm success in the Senate, White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain tweeted today: “I’m not going to say that the success of @POTUS, @SenSchumer and @SenGaryPeters in getting every Senator of the President’s party re-elected is historic, but... the last time [it] happened there were only 96 Senators.”
Watch: Running for Senate was ‘best thing’ he’s ever done says Walker
Herschel Walker says running for Senate was ‘best thing’ he’s ever done
Herschel Walker delivered his concession speech accepting defeat in the Georgia runoff to Democrat Raphael Warnock. The Republican candidate urged his supporters to pray for elected officials and to “never stop dreaming” or “believing in America.” He said: “There are no excuses in life, and I’m not gonna make any excuses now because we put up one heck of a fight.” “The best thing I’ve ever done in my whole entire life is run for this Senate seat right here,” he told the crowd, who applauded him. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies