Warnock Wins Georgia Runoff Election

Nearly a month after the 2022 midterm elections, Georgia voters returned to the polls again on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, to choose a senator. This second election, called a runoff, was declared under Georgia law because none of the candidates received more than fifty percent of the vote in November. Tuesday’s runoff election saw extremely high voter turnout: 1.85 million Georgians voted early, and more than 1.33 million voted on Election Day. By the end of the night, current Senator Raphael Warnock was announced the winner. He defeated Hershel Walker with 51.4 percent of the vote to Walker’s 48.6 percent. Election Central takes a closer look at one of the most-watched races in the country this year, and why it impacts all Americans, regardless of their home state. 

Who Were the Candidates? 

The incumbent in the race was Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock. He was the first African American from Georgia to hold statewide office and was first elected in January 2021, to finish out another senator’s term. In the 2022 midterms, he ran for re-election and was challenged by Republican Herschel Walker. On November 8, 2022, Warnock received 49.4 percent of the vote, while Walker received 48.5 percent. Chase Oliver, the Libertarian candidate, received 2.1 percent. Because no candidate received more than fifty percent, Georgia law required that the two top candidates faced each other again in Tuesday’s runoff election. 

Walker is a former football star and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner. He helped lead the University of Georgia to a college football national championship in 1980. His campaign was marked by numerous controversies, including accusations of domestic violence and, most recently, tax fraud. Warnock is is a former minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. His campaign was successful in reaching young adult voters, African American voters, and women. 

The High Price of a Runoff 

The monthlong runoff campaign was intense and expensive. Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Warnock in Georgia and made an ad supporting him. Former President Trump supported Walker but he did not campaign for him in person. At the urging of many Republicans such as Georgia and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the campaign sent automated telephone calls from Trump the night before the runoff election. 

During the November general election, Warnock and Walker were almost tied in spending. But Republican support for Walker dropped off during the runoff, while Democratic supporters continued to pour money into Warnock’s campaign. By December 6th, the Warnock campaign had outspent the Walker campaign by more than a two-to-one margin: $25.2 million for Warnock, $10.1 million for Walker. Overall, the Democratic Party and other outside groups poured $52.5 million into Warnock’s campaign, while Republicans and other groups put $25 million into Walker’s. The difference is partially due to the Senate Leadership Fund, which spent nearly $40 million on ads for Walker in November. That amount dropped to just $11.8 million for the December runoff. 

The Democratic Senate 

Sen. Warnock’s win means that Democrats will now have a 51-49 majority in the United States Senate. This gives Democrats the majority in every committee and will allow them to pass legislation and approve nominees more easily, without having to depend on Vice President Harris to break ties.  

Dig Deeper Use the Internet to learn more about what Senator Warnock accomplished during his first years as a senator.