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ATLANTA (Reuters) -Democrats on Wednesday completed a sweep of the two U.S. Senate seats up for grabs in runoff elections in the state of Georgia, giving the party control of the chamber and boosting the prospects for President-elect Joe Biden’s ambitious legislative agenda.
Raphael Warnock, a Baptist preacher from Martin Luther King Jr.’s former church, beat Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler to become the first Black senator in the deep South state’s history while Democrat Jon Ossoff, a documentary filmaker who at 33 would become the Senate’s youngest member, beat Republican David Perdue.
The results would give Democrats narrow control of both chambers of Congress, making it easier to appoint liberal-leaning judges and advance legislative priorities from coronavirus relief to climate change when Biden takes office on Jan. 20.
Georgia Seat Called for Raphael Warnock
On 1/6/21 at 2:15 AM EST
Raphael Warnock will represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate for the next two years following a close runoff election on Tuesday, according to multiple networks.
NBC called the race for the Warnock just before 2 a.m. ET, giving Democrats one more seat in the Senate. With 98 percent of the votes counted, Warnock led Republican Kelly Loeffler by 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent.
Shortly after NBC, others also called the race for Warnock, including The Associated Press, CNN, and Fox News.
The race between Loeffler and Warnock has been close since the 2020 general election. Neither candidate received 50 percent of the votes on November 3, the percentage needed to win in Georgia.
By Caroline Linton CBSN
Control of the Senate comes down to today s runoff elections in Georgia for the state s two Senate seats. Republicans need to win just one seat to keep control of the Senate, but if Democrats win both seats, there will be a 50-50 tie in the Senate and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be the tie-breaking vote.
CBSN s Elaine Quijano will be anchoring a special episode of Red & Blue starting at 5 p.m. CBSN will also start broadcasting live starting at 7 p.m. when polls close, with CBSN political reporter Caitlin Huey-Burns reporting from Georgia.
CBS News director of elections and surveys Anthony Salvanto will also appear throughout the evening, as will CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, CBS News chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes, CBS News political correspondents Ed O Keefe and Nikole Killion and CBS News political reporters LaCrai Mitchell and Adam Brewster.
Remaining votes are in typically Democratic strongholds, putting Joe Biden’s party within striking distance of controlling House, Senate and White House