The Georgia runoff election results are in: Who’s going to the Senate?

Many of us were glued to our TV’s, iPhones, and Twitter accounts as we waited for the results of the Georgia runoff election on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. 

The night had major implications for both major political parties, as it would determine who would take control of the U.S. Senate. If the Democratic party was to be able to take a majority of the seats in the Senate, then it would allow a Democratic President to possibly accomplish more in his first term without too much Republican interference. 

That being said, by flipping the Senate the Republican party would be looking at a government where the Democrats rule the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, most likely leaving their political agendas in the dust. So, with all of this being prefaced . . . what are the Georgia election results? 

What is the Georgia runoff election? 

According to Georgia state rules, a winning candidate needs at least 50% of the vote in order to be declared the winner. 

During the November election this requirement was not achieved, which is why the top two went on to a January repeat, hence the phrase “runoff”. 

Who’s running? 

There are two races taking place for seats in the Senate, both featuring a Democratic newcomer as well as a Republican incumbent. 

The first race sees seventy-year-old senator & former CEO of Reebok David Perdue square off against the thirty-three-year-old Jon Ossoff. Ossoff, who was endorsed by the late civil rights trailblazer John Lewis, aims to dethrone Perdue, a Trump supporter who’s currently facing public scrutiny over million-dollar stock trades. 

The second race for the Senate pins the fifty-year-old senator, Kelly Loeffler, against a reverend who is fifty-one, Raphael Warnock. Warnock is known for starting the New Georgia Project along with Stacey Abrams, which acts as a voting rights organization, while Loeffler, a pro-women’s basketball team owner, has been facing some difficulty as her own players have protested her ownership over certain political views.

Why does this matter? 

The Republican party has had control over the Senate since 2014, and it is very rare for senators to vote against their own party, which is why with a tentative Democratic President it would be difficult to fathom any actual progress being made, as both the House and the Senate would continue their spitting match as they force America to watch. 

In a 50-50 tie, the duties of making the final decision for the Senate vote would fall under tentative Vice President, Kamala Harris. With the support of both the House and the Senate, this allows the chance for actual legislative accomplishments, rather then gridlock for another couple of years if the Republican party were to hold on to the Senate. 

This would leave more last-minute decision-making to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who’s allegedly falling apart worse than Dumbledore after destroying one of the horcruxes. 

Georgia election results

It looks like Democrat Warnock has been declared the winner, narrowly defeating Senator Loeffler in one of the two Georgia runoff races, leading over Loeffler by nearly 40,000 votes. 

“Georgia, I am honored by the faith that you have shown in me,” Warnock stated. “And I promise you this tonight, I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia, no matter who you cast your vote for in this election.” 

While the second race between Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff is still being tallied, it does appear that Ossoff is leading by a thin margin, hopefully a margin wide enough that he will ultimately be outside of the recount threshold. Right now, The Associated Press is reporting Ossof has over 50% of votes, leading against Perdue, with 98% of votes having been tallied. 

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What are your thoughts regarding the Georgia election results? Do you think that this race is as important as the presidential race last November? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.