Reverend Raphael Warnock. - AAP 5370537724001
Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia s two US Senate run-offs, becoming the first black senator in his state s history and putting the Senate majority within the Democrats reach.
A pastor who has spent 15 years leading the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King preached, Warnock defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler.
It was a stinging rebuke to outgoing President Donald Trump, who made one of his final trips in office to Georgia to rally his loyal base behind Loeffler and the Republican running for the other seat, David Perdue.
The focus now shifts to the second race between Perdue, a 71-year-old former business executive who held his Senate seat until his term expired on Sunday, and Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Democrats won one hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Georgia on Wednesday and pulled ahead in a second, edging closer to control of the chamber and the power to advance Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's policy goals when he takes office this month.
Religious leaders: Reject bid to overturn presidential election results
Supporters of President Donald Trump rally outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington Jan. 5, 2021, ahead of the U.S. Congress certification of the presidential election results. (CNS photo/Leah Millis, Reuters)
By Mark Pattison • Catholic News Service • Posted January 6, 2021
WASHINGTON (CNS) Dozens of Catholics were among a group of more than 2,000 religious and community leaders who urged Congress to reject any effort to overturn the results of November’s presidential election.
“As faithful citizens, we are praying for a peaceful, smooth and dignified transfer of power,” said the statement, released Jan. 5 by Vote Common Good, an advocacy organization whose website says its job is “inspiring, energizing and mobilizing people of faith to make the common good their voting criteria and to pursue faith, hope and love for a change on Election Day 2020 and prevent the reelection of Donald Trump.
Reuters
Published: 06 Jan 2021 02:08 PM BdST
Updated: 06 Jan 2021 02:08 PM BdST Democratic US Senate candidate Raphael Warnock speaks on his campaign s Youtube account after the runoff election against Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler in Atlanta, Georgia, US, Jan 6, 2021. REUTERS
Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock won a hotly contested US Senate race in Georgia over Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, TV networks and Edison Research projected, but which party will control the chamber was up in the air with a second contest still undecided. );
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Warnock, a Baptist preacher, defeated Loeffler in one of two runoff elections in Georgia that will decide control of the Senate - and whether Republicans will be able to block President-elect Joe Biden s agenda.