Georgia Senate Election: Ossoff Defeats Perdue
By: CaraG @exclusivelycarag
Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock solidified Georgia’s political transformation. Ossoff’s victory against Perdue ensured President-elect Joe Biden will have an easier time executing his agenda.
Mr. Ossoff’s is a former congressional aide and journalist whose victory came when the nation’s political leadership was ambushed by Trump supporters that stormed the Capitol and protested the certification of Biden’s presidential victory. Ossoff defeated Republican David Perdue, a 71-year-old former business executive whose congressional term expired Sunday. Ossoff narrowly defeated Perdue by about 25,000 votes.
Democrats had to win both of Georgia’s Senate election to obtain the Senate majority. The Rev. Raphael Warnock defeated Senator Kelly Loeffler, becoming the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from the South. Both Democrats Warnock and Ossoff now lead their defeated Republican opponents by larger margins than the threshold required to trigger a recount under Georgia law. The Senate will now be equally divided 50-50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaker for Democrats.
“You need to have a unified team with a unified message looking to the future,” Gabriel Sterling, top state election official, and Republican, said during a news conference.
Ossoff narrowly defeated Perdue by about 25,000 votes, capturing 50.3 percent of the vote to Perdue’s 49.7 percent. Ossoff’s margin is over the recount threshold, and Edison predicted his margin will continue to grow once the remaining ballots are counted.
Mr. Ossoff and Mr. Warnock won thanks to driving turnout among liberals and Black voters in the early-voting period, and Democrats built an insurmountable advantage going into election day. Even though some of these groups made up smaller shares of voters in the state than in the fall, the support boosted Democratic leads in the state.
