Georgia's Senate Runoffs will Determine the Course of the Senate
By Margaret Coleman
By Margaret Coleman
With Joe Biden about to step into office, the Republican party are desperate not to let the Senate fall into Democratic hands. If Democrats do take the Senate, the parties will each have half of the Senate, which may result in ties that Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris (Democrat) will break. That would essentially mean that Democrats would have majority. However, the only state that hasn’t already declared a winner is Georgia, with two seats up for grabs. This is because in Georgia, the laws state that unless a candidate wins by more than 50%, a runoff election must be held. Both of Georgia’s current Senators held the majority of the votes, but because neither of them won by more than 50%, a runoff election is taking place.
The incumbent Senators running are both Republican. There is Senator David Perdue, the former CEO of Reebok and Dollar General who ran (and won) for office in 2014. He is also one of President Trump’s biggest supporters in the Senate. The other incumbent Senator is Kelly Leoffler, who was appointed as an acting Senator in 2019 when former Senator Johnny Isakson resigned. However, in order to keep her seat, she was required to run this year. Like Perdue, her background is mainly in business, as she worked in the Stock Market. As for the opposing Democratic Senators, there is Jon Ossoff, who interned for Representative John Lewis during college, and, at age 33 would be the youngest Senator in office. The other Democrat is Raphael Warnock, a pastor from the Atlanta church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. He is most well-known for his stance on criminal justice reform and expanded voting rights. However, he has been attacked by Republican Senators concerning his sometimes fiery sermons. No matter who you support, this will be a very fateful election with a huge impact.
The incumbent Senators running are both Republican. There is Senator David Perdue, the former CEO of Reebok and Dollar General who ran (and won) for office in 2014. He is also one of President Trump’s biggest supporters in the Senate. The other incumbent Senator is Kelly Leoffler, who was appointed as an acting Senator in 2019 when former Senator Johnny Isakson resigned. However, in order to keep her seat, she was required to run this year. Like Perdue, her background is mainly in business, as she worked in the Stock Market. As for the opposing Democratic Senators, there is Jon Ossoff, who interned for Representative John Lewis during college, and, at age 33 would be the youngest Senator in office. The other Democrat is Raphael Warnock, a pastor from the Atlanta church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. He is most well-known for his stance on criminal justice reform and expanded voting rights. However, he has been attacked by Republican Senators concerning his sometimes fiery sermons. No matter who you support, this will be a very fateful election with a huge impact.