Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock has been re-elected in Georgia besting former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker in the Georgia runoff election. With just over 95% of the ballots counted, Warnock won 51.2% of the vote with Walker earning 48.8%. Warnock currently leads Walker by over 85,000 votes.
The victory gives Democrats a 51-49 margin in the U.S. Senate meaning that Vice-President Kamala Harris won't be relied upon as a tie breaking vote. It will also lessen the influence of Democratic Senators like Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona who have stymied President Biden's legislative agenda. Of course, whatever breathing room Democrats have been given in the Senate is offset by an incoming Republican majority in the House.
Of course, that Walker who can barely speak in complete sentences came as close as he did says a great deal about Republican voters although unlike Donald Trump and Kari Lake did concede the race. In the long term this will further loosen whatever grip Trump has on Georgia Republicans because chances are had Republicans nominated someone who actually lived in Georgia then we would be back to a 50-50 tie in the Senate and Warnock would be but a footnote.
On the other hand, this doesn't mean Trump is going to let Georgia go. Trump still believes he won the state and he will continue to attack Governor Kemp, Secretary of State Raffensperger and the Georgia Republican establishment as much as he would Warnock or Jon Ossoff, Georgia's other Democratic Senator.
So let's take whatever good news we can get. Raphael Warnock has been elected to a full six year term.
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