Story at a glance
- Georgia voters elected the state’s first Black senator, Rev. Raphael Warnock.
- Prior to Warnock’s election, just 10 Black Americans have served in the U.S. Senate.
For the first time in state history, Georgia has elected a Black American to be senator, as Rev. Raphael Warnock (D) defeats Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler on Wednesday.
Warnock’s win is a major chapter in Black American history, as he becomes the first Black senator to represent Georgia, a former Confederate state. Following the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, the increase in representation breathes hope into issues that disproportionately affect Black Americans, such as criminal justice reform and voting rights.
Warnock’s historic achievement also helps put the Senate majority within the Democrats’ reach, as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on Jan. 20.
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The New York Times tracked 98 percent of the votes cast in the special election between Warnock and Loeffler, and The Associated Press (AP) reported the win on Wednesday.
In a live streamed broadcast, Warnock claimed victory, The Washington Post reports.
“We were told that we couldn’t win this election,” he said. “But tonight, we proved that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible.”
Prior to being an elected official, Warnock was the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church based in Atlanta, the same church where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. preached. As one of 12 children, Warnock grew up in public housing and was the first in his family to graduate college, according to AP.
Historically, just 10 Black Americans have served in the Senate’s two century history, with two being Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama.
In 1870, Hiram Revels was the first African American to serve in the Senate, representing the state of Mississippi.
Eyes are now on the second race between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue. Ossoff is leading, but AP reports as of Wednesday the race was still too close to officially call. Ossoff declared victory, saying on social media: “Whether you were for me, or against me, I’ll be for you in the U.S. Senate. I will serve all the people of the state.”
The special election in Georgia saw the participation of both President-elect Biden — supporting Warnock and Ossoff — and President Trump, vocally supporting Sens. Loeffler and David Perdue in the race.
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