ATLANTA — Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock wrapped up his “one more time” tour with a victory Tuesday in the runoff, defeating Republican rival Herschel Walker to secure a six-year term.
“Against unspeakable odds, here we stand together,” he said.
Here are four takeaways from the Georgia runoff:
Warnock's star rises
The “senator reverend,” as he calls himself, keeps winning.
Warnock has been on the ballot five times in a roughly two-year span — one Democratic primary, two general elections and two runoffs — and finished first each time. Along the way, he has dispensed with three Republican contenders (before Walker, he faced former Sen. Kelly Loeffler and former Rep. Doug Collins in a 2020 special election).
It’s a remarkable feat for a political newcomer in two different political environments, and even more so for the first Black person elected senator from Georgia, once a bastion of the Confederacy.
Warnock spent the last few years in permanent campaign mode, his fate long appearing uncertain in this purple state during a challenging landscape for Democrats. That had minimized any chatter about his future prospects. But this electoral success is sure to elevate his star, possibly into the echelons of presidential or vice-presidential contenders.
Asked if Warnock is a future White House candidate, his campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, told NBC News on Tuesday: “I don’t know. I think Sen. Warnock is very tired and I think he’s been campaigning for a long time. I can’t wait to see what he does, but I know he can’t wait to see what he can do when he has a full six-year term to represent the people of Georgia.”
Democrats expand their Senate power
Warnock’s victory gives Democrats their 51st seat — an outright majority that ends their reliance on Vice President Kamala Harris for tie-breaking votes.
In practice, that means smoother sailing on executive nominees and judges, without Republicans having the ability to force deadlocked committee votes and make the Senate jump through extra procedural hoops. It also means more power for Democrats to issue subpoenas without Republican buy-in, setting up a contrast to the GOP-controlled House’s plans to aggressively investigate the Biden administration. And it means that no single member, like Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., can make or break the party’s agenda.
"Reverend Warnock’s well-earned win is not just a victory for Georgia, but also for democracy — as the last brick in our firewall against extremist MAGA Republican policies that threaten the very essence of our democracy," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
