CBS News projects that Jon Ossoff has defeated incumbent Senator David Perdue in Tuesday’s election in Georgia, giving Democrats control of the Senate in a dramatic shift that raises the balance of power in Washington. Earlier, it was also predicted that Democrat Raphael Warnock would win the state’s other election election against Republican Party Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
The victories of Ossoff and Warnock ensure that Democrats will have a 50-50 majority in the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris breaking any tie. This will facilitate the implementation of its legislative priorities by President-elect Joe Biden, and will quickly and smoothly confirm his candidates for the cabinet.
The news came amid a chaotic and violent day in Washington when supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, forcing Congress to recess while they planned to count the votes of the Electoral College.
“I’m very grateful to the people of Georgia,” Warnock said Georgia’s first elected black senator, he said Wednesday on “CBS This Morning.” “They sent a strong and clear message last night when they sent a person who grew up in public housing, one of the 12 children in my family, I’m the first college graduate. I’m serving in the U.S. Senate in a few days he pushes against the grain of so many expectations. But this is America. “
Warnock, the pastor of the Atlanta church, formerly led by Martin Luther King Jr., is only the second black senator elected from the south since Reconstruction.
Ossoff declared victory Wednesday morning. Although he defeated Perdue by a smaller margin than Warnock defeated Loeffler, Georgia’s top election official said Wednesday he believed it would be more than 0.5% needed to avoid a countdown.
“I want to thank the people of Georgia for participating in these elections, everyone who voted, everyone who put their faith and confidence in the ability of our democracy to offer the representation we deserve, whether you were for me as opposed to, I will be for you in the United States Senate. I will serve all the people of the state, “Ossoff said.