In a move that will effectively give Democrats the majority in the U.S. Senate, incumbent U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) has conceded his reelection bid to his Democrat challenger.
In a concession statement distributed to media outlets, Perdue did not mention his opponent, Senator-Elect Jon Ossoff, by name. The statement says:
“Bonnie and I are deeply grateful for the support millions of Georgians have shown us this year and in the six years since we first ran for the United States Senate. Serving our home state has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am very proud of how our team in Georgia and Washington, D.C. fought every day to deliver real results for all eleven million Georgians.
“Although we won the general election, we came up just short of Georgia’s 50% rule, and now I want to congratulate the Democratic Party and my opponent for this runoff win. Bonnie and I will continue to pray for our wonderful state and our great country. May God continue to bless Georgia and the United States of America.”
Ossoff, 33, will become the youngest member of the U.S. Senate.
Thursday, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), appointed to her seat by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) almost one year ago, conceded her runoff election loss to Rev. Raphael Warnock.
“Serving as your United States Senator has been the honor of a lifetime. I am forever grateful for your kindness, your hard work, your support, and friendship. God bless you, God bless Georgia, and God bless the United States of America,” she said in a video poster to her campaign’s Twitter page.
When Ossoff and Warnock are sworn in, there will be 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats in the Senate.
On January 20, President-Elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated, and his Vice President, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), will have the power to cast tie-breaking votes in the higher chamber of Congress.
With a 50-50 split between Republican and Democrat, a tie-breaking vote by Kamala Harris will give Democrats will control the U.S. Senate, the House, as well as the Presidency.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Music to my ears!