The Georgia Election Results, and Why They Matter

Democrats took both wins and control of the Senate in Georgia’s runoff election this month. Democrat Raphael Warnock won over republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in the special election, and democrat Jon Ossoff defeated republican David Perdue.

“Everybody who cast your ballot, everybody who put your faith and confidence in our democracy’s capacity to deliver the representation that we deserve—whether you were for me, or against me—I’ll be for you in the U.S. Senate,” Ossoff says. “I will serve all the people of the state.”

Both candidates made history as Ossoff is the state’s first Jewish senator, and Warnock is the first Black senator from Georgia. With these new additions, the U.S. Senate will be evenly split democrat to republican, but once sworn in as vice president, Kamala Harris would have the power to break ties and pass legislation.

Senate majority is crucial to any administration, and with the copious issues Biden will inherit, controlling the senate is imperative to pass policies and make good on campaign promises, promises including the hotly debated, $2,000 stimulus checks which were stalled by President Trump early last month.

“If you send Jon and the reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door, restoring hope and decency and honor for so many people who are struggling right now,” Biden said during his speech prior to Tuesday’s runoff. “If you send Sens. Perdue and Loeffler back to Washington, those checks will never get there. It’s just that simple.”