Five takeaways from the Kelly Loeffler-Raphael Warnock Georgia Senate debate

The hourlong matchup in Atlanta will likely be their only head-to-head appearance before the Jan. 5 special election runoff. Theirs is one of two races that could change the Republicans’ 50-48 balance of power in the Senate for the next Congress.

With polling indicating a tight race, here are five key debate takeaways before their highly competitive, high-stakes election for the last two years of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s seat:

Loeffler sided with President Trump over his election challenges

Loeffler, who was temporarily appointed to replace Isakson in January, wouldn’t directly answer questions on whether she agreed with Trump’s claims that his Nov. 3 election against Joe Biden was “rigged.”

“It’s very clear there were issues in this election,” she said. “The president has every right to every legal recourse, and that’s what’s taking place.”

She also declined to defend Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the man who promoted her to the Senate, from Trump’s criticism over his management of his state’s contest.

“I appreciate the president’s support of me, and I appreciate the governor’s support of me,” she said.

Loeffler thinks Warnock is a ‘radical liberal’

Loeffler, former CEO of digital currency financial services company Bakkt, co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, and wife of New York Stock Exchange Chairman Jeffrey Sprecher, repeatedly tagged Warnock as a “radical liberal.” In 60 minutes, she used the phrase roughly 14 times.

Loeffler pressed Warnock, the senior pastor at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, to denounce his past sermons praising Marxism and income retribution.

“I believe in our free enterprise system, and my dad was a small-business owner,” Warnock replied.

Warnock has received scrutiny for inflammatory addresses he’s delivered from the pulpit in the past, though he insists his comments have been taken out of context.

“America, nobody can serve God and the military,” he said in 2011. “You can’t serve God and money. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. America, choose ye this day who you will serve. Choose ye this day.”

Loeffler dodged a question on whether lawmakers should be banned from trading stocks

Loeffler sidestepped a query on whether members of Congress should be prohibited from making trades on the stock market.

“Look, what’s at stake here in this election is the American dream: That’s what’s under attack when they attack me for a lie, a left-wing media lie,” she said.

Loeffler and fellow sitting Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue were central figures in the 2020 congressional insider trading scandal after selling stocks following a private COVID-19 briefing. The Justice Department closed its investigation into Loeffler’s almost $20 million worth of trades, and the Senate Ethics Committee cleared her of any wrongdoing, but the investigation has dogged her campaign.

Perdue is running against Democratic filmmaker Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s other runoff.

Warnock refused to answer whether he supported court-packing

Warnock wouldn’t clarify whether he backed expanding the size of the Supreme Court to counter its 6-3 conservative tilt.

“I’m really not focused on it,” he said. “And too often, I think, the politics in Washington has been about the politicians.”

Democratic candidates’ positions on court-packing became a critical issue before the Nov. 3 elections after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the elevation of Amy Coney Barrett to the country’s highest bench.

But at least there was a debate

Perdue didn’t accept Loeffler-Warnock debate hosts the Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Public Broadcasting’s invitation to go toe-to-toe with Ossoff. Instead, Ossoff appeared alongside an empty podium Sunday night.

“I showed up to debate tonight. David Perdue pleaded the fifth,” Ossoff tweeted.

The rivals did debate before their Nov. 3 election, during which Ossoff called Perdue a “crook” in what became a viral exchange.

“It’s not just that you’re a crook, senator. It’s that you’re attacking the health of the people you represent,” Ossoff said last month.