After a long, winding election season, many Americans rested comfortably during December. The election had been called; President-elect Joe Biden now waiting to take office in January. However, in Georgia, campaigning ceased to halt as two major Senate runoff races waited to occur. Both Senate seats in Georgia were up for grabs in the November election, but after the winner could not be determined, the decision was pushed to a runoff election.
Georgia law requires that in an election, candidates must obtain 50 percent of the vote in order to declare a winner. In November, neither of the state’s Senate races reached that threshold - mandating that a runoff election had to occur. Election day was officially January 5, but similar to what was seen in the earlier election, millions of Georgia voters had already cast their ballots early.
Democratic candidates Jon Ossof and Reverend Raphael Warnock battled against the Republican incumbents in the seats. Ossof ran against Senator David Perdue, who had been in the position since 2015. Raphael Warnock took on Kelly Loeffler, who had only been in the Senate since 2020.
Though the runoff race only involved the Georgia Senate seats, millions around the country followed the race coverage and were involved with many different parts of the process. The reason for this being that the control of the Senate laid in the results of both of these elections. After November, Democrats kept their control of the House of Representatives, and gained control of the Presidency. The Senate, though, was likely to fall back into the hands of Republicans if they lost both races. Heading into January 5, these two seats would determine control of the Senate, a crucial piece of either party’s legislation and plan to move forward.
The 2020 election shattered historical records and was unlike anything we’ve experienced before. From the ongoing pandemic, to the accusations of voter fraud, and all of the issues that fell in between, this election was one to remember.
Both runoff races were tight on the day of the election. As the counties all over the Peach State began to report their results, it was impossible to call. The race stayed close all throughout the day, until Rev. Raphael Warnock pulled ahead of Sen. Kelly Loeffler. His lead continued to grow and by the end of the day, his win was officially called. The other race remained too close to call, even after Warnock won, and it was unclear who would take the second Senate seat up for grabs. However, Jon Ossoff pulled ahead later that night, and his win was called the next morning.
The win in Georgia for Democrats was one highly unexpected but resulted from a lot of hard work. From the beginning of the election season, even before the runoff races, many had spent years working to change Georgia. Former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Stacey Abrams, has spent years working with organizations to end voter suppression and protect voting rights. She founded Fair Fight Action in 2018 to do this, especially focused in states like Georgia and Texas. She single handedly was responsible for registering thousands of voters in Georgia this past year and provided resources and support for them. Her grassroots effort, similar to others seen during this past year, are an example of the driving force of change in our country. Abrams is an inspiration, and her work will continue to inspire and motivate others in the future.
This past year has been filled with uncertainty, anticipation, and change. The 2020 election was stressful for all, and took a long time to wrap up. The results in Georgia this past election are no different and promise a future of hope for our country. This recent decision in Georgia and the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden will hopefully bring this period of stress, anxiety, and anticipation to a halt. There is promise for lots of change, and with the pandemic almost reaching a year in the United States, this could not come soon enough.
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