What changed in US Senate runoff? Small gains for Warnock across Georgia

[Pinback]

- Mark Niesse, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, tonight

The runoff for U.S. Senate mostly mirrored the general election, with a key difference: Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock won a bit more of the vote in almost every county.

Warnock gained ground against Republican Herschel Walker in almost every county since the first election four weeks ago, according to preliminary results.

Warnock’s support grew in 147 of Georgia’s 159 counties, including both rural Republican-leaning areas and Democratic bastions in metro areas.

- https://www.ajc.com/news/live-updates/2022-senate-runoff-election/

Metro Atlanta is getting a lot of credit, but this is a statewide win. As in 2020, when Biden lost by less in small counties all over Georgia as compared to Clinton in 2016, Warnock’s team put together a win that drew support from every part of the state.

Those Democratic voters in Alice Walker’s hometown of Eatonton, in Jimmy Carter’s hometown of Plains and nearby Americus, even the badly outnumbered Dem voters in Rome and Cedartown — where they have to live with representation by the Jewish Space Laser lady — all those votes added up to bring home the win for Sen. Warnock.

THANK YOU to the Georgia Dem Party, every county Dem Party, Fair Fight Georgia, the New Georgia Project, Black Voters Matter, Unite Here, and many other organizations — and to the thousands of volunteers who knocked doors, made phone calls, worked campaign events, wrote post cards and letters, and never gave up.

I remember the last time we had a Democratic U.S. Senator before we were blessed with Ossoff and Warnock. That was Zell Miller. (Sorry for that memory.)

Although it would be wildly optimistic to say that Georgia has “turned Blue” — we do have a state government that’s still firmly in Red clutches — tonight, we can take a breath, hoot and holler, and enjoy this win for the ages.

As another DU thread tonight pointed out, Warnock has now won election to the U.S. Senate FOUR TIMES in two years (not counting the primaries). I’d say he deserves it.

[Joinfortmill]

1. Warnock is righteous

[Pinback]

2. Truly a good man and a highly effective candidate.

I’m so proud of him and Ossoff. And I will work my tail off to keep them both in office!

[Submariner]

3. What changed is Georgia

has locked in for 6 years an intelligent homegrown fighter for his constituency, instead of worrying did they lose their best hope after only a 2 year run.

The alternative was a Texan who would have been a rubber stamp for team red.

Congratulations Georgians.

[DemocraticPatriot]

4. A tiny proportion of Georgia Republicans were SHAMED

away from voting for Walker, or for bothering to vote for him in this runoff---
And Democrats remained energized...


Hell, even the GOP's (current or former) Lt. Governor,
could not bring himself to vote for Walker, after waiting in line to vote early,
for an hour...

some Republicans stayed home....

and the gambit of nominating an African-American for the Georgia senate seat,
to run against the Democratic African-American, in hopes of slicing off a few percent---
was a total failure....


because they nominated a man who was "an embarrassment" to African-Americans!


In defense of the Georgia Republicans who voted to nominate Walker--
I dare-say that they had no idea just how bad of a candidate that he would turn out to be,
whey they voted for him in their primary... but they followed the orders of the orange blob,
who can never be wrong.... right ????


GOD BLESS the MAJORITY of GEORGIA VOTERS TONIGHT!!!!

[Pinback]

5. As Walker told his former girlfriend (whom he also abused, of course),

“I could sell dirt to Georgia.” His college football career made him an icon in this state. That, plus the endorsement of TFG, took him a long way. Well, and the fact that most Georgia Republicans would vote for a dead possum before they’d vote for a Democrat.

But yes, there are Republicans who couldn’t stomach Walker and didn’t vote for either candidate. There are even some who voted for Warnock.

And there are a lot of Dem-leaning voters who won’t necessarily always come out to vote, but were inspired by Warnock (and motivated/cajoled by the thousands of TV and web ads, phone calls, and other messages they received).

It took a patchwork of different elements to make this win happen. Greg Bluestein’s next book will tell us all about it, I expect.

[DemocraticPatriot]

6. I have never liked football much

tonight was important, and we won

[MiniMe]

9. It would have helped if he actually lived in the State

Instead of in Texas

[MiniMe]

7. No third candidate

Somebody had enough votes to keep both of them to get to 50%

[Bev54]

8. Yes and it seems Warnock gained most of those votes.

[tinymontgomery]

10. I was just in Plains visiting

I was just in Plains visiting where Carter grew up along with his election campaign head quarters.
Past his present house and a lot of Warnock signs even in his fence line. We where told to look for the Warnock signs and
we would know it was his present home. Saw a lot of Warnock sign in that area.

[Polybius]

11. What changed was Walker

He was a horrendous candidate that would have lost in at least 45 other states.