How to watch the Georgia runoff elections
Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock are looking to defeat incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively.
The Senate would be tied 50-50 Republicans and Democrats if Ossoff and Warnock both win their races, but Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be able to act as a tie-breaking vote, which would give control of the chamber to Democrats. If Republicans win either or both of the seats, the GOP will keep control of the chamber.
Here’s what you need to know about how to watch CNN’s election coverage.
Why are there runoff elections?
Under state law, Senate races advance to a runoff if no candidate surpasses 50% of the vote, as was the case for both of Georgia’s US Senate seats after the November election. Perdue received 49.73% of the vote and Ossoff received 47.95%, and Warnock received 32.9% compared with Loeffler’s 25.91% in the special election.
What time does CNN’s coverage start?
Who are the candidates?
Kelly Loeffler
In December 2019, Loeffler was appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to take over the Senate seat previously held by Republican Johnny Isakson, who retired over health concerns. Loeffler, who was sworn in to office in January 2020, was a political novice, a prominent GOP donor and a businesswoman.
She was an executive at a financial services firm in Atlanta but left the post to serve in the Senate. She is also known as a co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. She had considered running for the Senate in 2014.
Loeffler is facing off against Warnock.
Raphael Warnock
Warnock, a Democrat, is a senior pastor at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which has long been a haven for the Black freedom struggle. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became a co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church with his father in 1960.
“Some might ask why a pastor thinks he should serve in the Senate,” said Warnock. “I’ve always thought that my impact doesn’t stop at the church door. That’s actually where it starts.”
Jon Ossoff
Ossoff, a Democrat, rose to national prominence during a 2017 special House election that the political newcomer nearly won in a longtime conservative stronghold in Georgia. He ultimately lost to Republican Karen Handel in what was at the time the most expensive House race in history.
Ossoff describes himself as a media executive, investigative journalist and small business owner on his campaign website. He began working with a former BBC journalist, Ron McCullagh, in 2013, and then used money from an inheritance to buy a stake in McCullagh’s investigative film company and renamed it Insight TWI, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The company has produced documentaries on mass killings and sexual slavery by ISIS, and a corruption investigation on judges in Ghana.
Ossoff is attempting to unseat Perdue.
David Perdue
Perdue, a close Trump ally, has served as a senator from Georgia since his election in 2014.
Perdue has served on the Armed Services, Banking, Budget, and Foreign Relations committees, according to his Senate website.
He had never run for public office before 2014, according to his Senate website, and prior to running for office was the CEO of Reebok athletic brand and Dollar General stores.
CNN’s Madison Park, Eric Bradner, Clare Foran, Donald Judd, Alex Rogers and Ryan Nobles contributed to this report.
