Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Raphael Warnock declared victory just after midnight on Wednesday in his race against Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who, just moments before said she has “a path to victory.”
Warnock, during an address to supporters live streamed on his social media platforms, declared victory. The Fox News Decision Desk early Wednesday projected Warnock would defeat Loeffler but has not called a winner in the other Senate runoff, pitting Republican Sen. David Perdue against Democrat Jon Ossoff.
“I come before you tonight as a man who knows that the improbable journey that led me to this place in this historic moment in America could only happen here,” Warnock said. “We were told that we couldn’t win this election, but tonight, we prove that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible.”
Warnock added: “May my story be an inspiration to some young person who is trying to grasp and grab hold of the American dream.
“Georgia I am honored by the faith that you have shown in me and I promise you this tonight, I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia,” Warnock said. “No matter who you cast your vote for in this election, in this moment in American history, Washington has a choice to make, in fact, all of us have a choice to make.”
Warnock added: “Will we continue to divide, district and dishonor one another? Or will we love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Will we play political games while real people suffer or will we win righteous fights together, standing shoulder to shoulder for the good of Georgia, for the good of our country Will we seek to destroy one another as enemies or heed the call toward the common good, building together what Dr. King called the ‘beloved community’?”
Warnock went on to say that he knows “we can beat this pandemic with science and good, old fashioned common sense,” said he knows “we can rebuild a fairer economy,” and one that “honors whom we now call essential workers, by paying them an essential wage and providing for them essential benefits.”
“To everyone out there struggling today, whether you voted for me or not, know this, I hear you, I see you, and every day I am in the United States Senate I will fight for you,” Warnock said. “I will fight for your family.”
He added: “To our supporters, our incredible campaign team and to my family, thank you from the bottom of my heart and to every Georgian who marched with us, organized with us prayed for us fought for us believed in us or shared their story and their pain with us, thank you for all of your love and support.”
Warnock’s comments came just moments after Loeffler delivered brief remarks, neither conceding, nor claiming victory.
“It’s worth it for this election to last into tomorrow,” Loeffler said, adding that she will be in Washington for the joint-session of Congress, where she plans to object to the certification of the presidential election results in at least one state.
“There are a lot of votes out there, and as y’all know, we have a path to victory and we’re staying on it,” Loeffler said. “Thanks to each and every one of you, every door knocker, every conversation.”
She added: “It took every single person in this room to be where we are right now, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Loeffler added that it is “a game of inches,” but said, “we’re gonna win this election.”
Loeffler, too, laid out a “choice” for voters.
“You know what, our election was a choice— a choice between a path towards socialism,” Loeffler said, illustrating Warnock’s campaign, which she said was on a platform of “high taxes, socialism, and government control of healthcare.”
“My campaign is about saving our country, and fighting for the American dream,” Loeffler said. “It’s about this generation and future generations.”
She added: “We’re gonna make sure every vote is counted. Every legal vote will be counted.”
Meanwhile, Perdue holds an extremely slim lead over Ossoff while Warnock was slightly ahead of Loeffler, but leads could shift through Wednesday morning and potentially beyond as votes from different areas of the state are counted.
The races will determine which party holds the Senate.