Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock have won their Georgia runoff election, defeating Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler to give the Democrats control of the U.S. Senate.
With the wins, The Senate’s party split will be 50-50 with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris breaking tie votes. Warnock and Ossoff’s victory gives President-elect Joe Biden the power to pass liberal legislation and push through Cabinet nominations without Republican support.
“At this moment of crisis, as Covid-19 continues to ravage our state and our country, when hundreds of thousands have lost their lives, millions have lost livelihoods, Georgia families are having difficulty putting food on the table — fearing foreclosure or eviction, having difficulty making ends meet — let’s unite now to beat this virus and rush economic relief to the people of our state and to the American people,” Ossoff said in a video statement.
While Ossoff and Warnock ran on a unity ticket, President Donald Trump has refused to accept his election defeat, sparking a fight within the Republican Party and rallying his supporters who believed his false claims that the vote was rigged.
Mr. Trump’s hammering of claiming the election was rigged pressured Perdue and Loeffler to choose between remaining loyal to the President or risk losing his supporters votes.
“Georgia’s voters delivered a resounding message yesterday: they want action on the crises we face and they want it right now,” said Biden in a statement. “On Covid-19, on economic relief, on climate, on racial justice, on voting rights and so much more.”
A Democratic-led Senate could also confirm Biden’s nominees without Republican support. Biden has not yet named his pick for Attorney General but reports say Judge Merrick Garland and Sen. Doug Jones are two at the top of the President-elect’s list.
“Obviously, with Democratic control [of the Senate], the ability of Joe Biden to move nominations forward will be easier,” said Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
