Democrat Raphael Warnock is looking to make history as Georgia’s first black senator in his high-stakes special election runoff against Republican millionaire businesswoman Kelly Loeffler.
The contest between political novices Warnock, 51, and Loeffler, 50, on Jan. 5 for the remaining two years of retired Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term will determine Senate control in the next Congress.
And with more than $500 million to be funneled into Georgia ahead of their matchup and a twin runoff between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democratic filmmaker Jon Ossoff, both Loeffler and Warnock are under immense scrutiny.
Warnock, a preacher, emerged relatively unscathed from the Nov. 3 election after Loeffler, who’s trying to become Georgia’s first elected woman senator, became locked in a primary-like dynamic with Republican Rep. Doug Collins, the two competing over GOP voters amid a crowded 21-candidate field.
But now, it’s Warnock’s turn to stand under the political spotlight.
Warnock, the 11th of a dozen children born to two Savannah pastors, was raised in public housing. His father was a veteran and small businessman, facts weaved into his stump speech.
After graduating from celebrated historically black Morehouse College and preaching in New York and Baltimore, he became senior pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s former pulpit, in 2005.
Although he was lauded in 2015 for leading a sit-in pushing Georgia lawmakers to expand Medicaid, Warnock’s 15 years of sermons are hurting him this cycle.
In some of those sermons, Warnock’s criticized police officers and Israel yet expressed sympathy for Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro and Marxism. Warnock argues clips of him making claims, such as that it was impossible to “serve God and the military,” have been taken out of context.
Warnock was also scrutinized over allegations that he obstructed police during a 2002 physical child abuse investigation at a Maryland church-run camp. The charges were dropped after it became clear he wanted an adult present while the child suspect was being questioned.
Warnock’s associations, too, have been damaging. He was pressed on 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams’ refusal to concede during a debate this month after the pair teamed up on the New Georgia Project, a voting rights organization. He’s routinely had to defend his support of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, former President Barack Obama’s erstwhile pastor, as well.
Warnock, a father of two, has been juggling the campaign with finalizing his divorce in November. Ouleye Ndoye, his wife of three years, accused him in March of driving over her foot with his Tesla after an argument about whether their children should apply for passports. Warnock disputes the police report, and medics didn’t treat Ndoye for any serious injuries.
The Warnock-Loeffler race will hinge on turnout. Although Republicans have traditionally outperformed Democrats in Georgia’s runoff history, Warnock’s presence on the ticket has been predicted to motivate black voters. At the same time, GOP strategists are concerned Loeffler’s backing of President Trump’s election challenges will demotivate Republican voters by sowing distrust of the electoral process.
