United States Senate Runoff Elections In Georgia (January 5, 2021)

U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia
Regular Senate election runoff (Jan. 5)
Candidates: David Perdue Jon Ossoff
Special Senate election runoff (Jan. 5)
Candidates: Kelly Loeffler Raphael Warnock
Regular Senate general election (Nov. 3)
Special Senate general election (Nov. 3)
Filing deadline: March 6, 2020
Primary: June 9, 2020
Primary runoff: August 11, 2020
General: November 3, 2020
Runoff: January 5, 2021

Georgia held two runoff elections for U.S. Senate on January 5, 2021, as no candidate received a majority of votes in either the regularly scheduled election or the special election on November 3, 2020. Democrats won both Senate runoffs and, with them, control of the U.S. Senate.

Raphael Warnock (D) defeated Kelly Loeffler (R) in the special runoff election. Jon Ossoff (D) defeated David Perdue (R) in the regular runoff election.

As a result of the runoffs, Democrats and Republicans split the Senate 50-50. The vice president (Democrat Kamala Harris beginning January 20, 2021) casts tie-breaking votes in the Senate. Republicans needed to win at least one runoff to maintain their majority.

Georgia was the only state to hold two U.S. Senate elections in 2020. The special election was held to fill the rest of retired Sen. Johnny Isakson's (R) term.

See below for candidates' backgrounds and key campaign messages, along with in-depth coverage of each race.

How the races were framed

Republicans framed the fight over Senate control as a fight against socialism in America. Democrats said the incoming Biden administration needed a Democratic Senate majority to make progress on healthcare and pandemic recovery.

Steve Guest, rapid response director at the Republican National Committee, said the following:^[1]

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the following:^[3]

Historical context

Georgia's last Democratic senator, Zell Miller, left office in 2005. As of 2020, Republicans had a trifecta in the state—holding the governor's office and controlling both chambers of the state legislature—since 2005. And Republicans had a triplex—holding the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state—since 2011.

Joe Biden won the presidential election in Georgia in 2020—the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1992. In 2018, Democrat Stacey Abrams lost the gubernatorial election to Brian Kemp (R) 48.8% to 50.2%.

This page provides answers to frequently asked questions; a timeline of events since the November 3 general elections; analysis and commentary on what was at stake in the runoff elections and each party's prospects; and more.

For our coverage of runoffs and the general elections, see below:

• United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020 (Perdue vs. Ossoff runoff)
• United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 (Loeffler vs. Warnock runoff)
• United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020
• United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020

Runoff election results[edit]

Regular election[edit]

General runoff election for U.S. Senate Georgia

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jon Ossoff (D)	50.6	2,269,923
		David Perdue (R)	49.4	2,214,979

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,484,902
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Special election[edit]

See also: United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 (Loeffler vs. Warnock runoff)

See below for results from the Nov. 3 general elections and for previous years' results.

Analysis[edit]

Around 4.5 million people voted in Georgia's runoffs, compared to 5 million during the November election.^[4] That's a turnout decrease of 10%. Before 2021, Georgia had held two runoffs for U.S. Senate: one in 2008 and one in 1992. In 2008, turnout between the general and runoff elections decreased by 43%. In 1992, turnout decreased by 44%.

Several outlets released turnout analyses attempting to identify factors that led to the elections' results. We present a few examples below.

• The Washington Post's Bernard L. Fraga, Zachary Peskowitz, and James Szewczyk used race and ethnicity data from the Georgia Secretary of State office along with an analysis of November election results to gauge partisan leanings of those who did and did not vote in the runoff. They wrote that Black voter turnout decreased less between the two elections than white voter turnout and that turnout declined more in precincts that supported Trump by larger margins in November.^[5]

• FiveThirtyEight's Nathaniel Rakich, Geoffrey Skelley, Laura Bronner, and Julia Wolfe wrote that, according to county-level data shortly after the runoff, Black voters made up a larger share of the runoff electorate than the general election electorate, and counties that showed more support for Trump tended to have greater decreases in turnout:^[6]

• Fox News' Andrew Schwartz, Margaret Ann Campbell, Dana Blanton reported results from the the Fox News Voter Analysis, a survey of around 4,000 Georgians, shortly after the runoff. They wrote about demographic breakdowns and voter outreach efforts in the state.^[7]

• Patrick Ruffini, Republican pollster and co-founder of the polling firm Echelon Insights, compared Georgia's November election turnout to Echelon's turnout projections. Echelon primarily based its turnout model on past voting behavior in recent elections. Overall turnout in Georgia's November election was 98% what they expected it would be. Ruffini wrote the following:^[8]

Georgia runoff FAQs[edit]

Recount laws in Georgia[edit]

See also: Recount laws in Georgia

The list below shows answers to common questions regarding recounts in Georgia.^[9]

• Does state law require automatic recounts?
  • No.

• When must an automatic recount be completed?
  • There are no automatic recounts in this state.

• Can a recount be requested?
  • Yes. Election officials, including the secretary of state, may request recounts under certain circumstances explained below. These recounts may be conducted before the certification of election results. A losing candidate may also request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to 0.5%. This threshold was set in 2019 following the passage of H.B. 319. There are no set deadlines for the completion of a candidate-requested recount.

• Who pays for a requested recount?
  • State law does not specify who is responsible for costs associated with a requested recount but the secretary of state's office has indicated that the state covers all costs.^[10]

• Is a refund available for requested recount costs?
  • Not applicable. According to the Secretary of State, the state covers the cost of requested recounts.^[11]

• Can a partial recount be requested?
  • No.

More FAQs[edit]

Last updated January 5, 2021
Why is Georgia holding runoffs for U.S. Senate?
Why do these races matter?
When is the last time Georgia held Senate runoffs?
Does any other state hold general election runoffs for Congress elections?
How long have Republicans held both of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats?
If I didn't vote in the general election, can I still vote in the runoff?
If I wasn't registered to vote before the November election, can I register for the runoff?
Can I vote early?
Can I vote by mail?
Can I vote in both races?
Do I have to vote in both races?
Do I have to vote for candidates from the same party in both races?
When will election winners be sworn in?

Why is Georgia holding runoffs for U.S. Senate?[edit]

• Georgia's legislature passed a law in the 1960s requiring runoffs for general elections in which no candidate receives a majority of the vote.^[12] The top two finishers in the general election advance to the runoff. Runoff elections are required for all congressional, state executive, and state legislative elections in which a candidate does not receive a majority in the general election.^[13]

Why do these races matter?[edit]

• Following the November 3, 2020, elections, Republicans had secured 50 seats in the Senate and Democrats, 48 (including independents who caucus with them). Democrats needed to win both seats to split control of the chamber 50-50. Since the vice president has the tie-breaking vote in the chamber, this would give Democrats an effective majority in 2021. Republicans needed to win one of the two seats to maintain their majority. They held 53 seats heading into the 2020 elections. Different perspectives on what control of the Senate would mean can be found here.

When is the last time Georgia held Senate runoffs?[edit]

• Two other Senate runoffs took place before these ones. In 2008, Saxby Chambliss (R) won re-election in a runoff. The first Senate runoff occurred in 1992. Incumbent Wyche Fowler (D) lost in the runoff.

Does any other state hold general election runoffs for Congress elections?[edit]

• The only state with anything similar is Louisiana. There, all candidates running for a local, state, or federal office appear on the same ballot in either October (in odd-numbered years) or November (in even-numbered years), regardless of their partisan affiliations. If a candidate wins a simple majority of all votes cast for the office, he or she wins the election outright. If no candidate meets that threshold, the top two finishers, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advance to a second election in December.

How long have Republicans held both of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats?[edit]

• Since 2005. In 2000, Zell Miller (D) won a special election to complete the term originally won by Paul Coverdell (R), who died in office. Prior to the special election, Gov. Roy Barnes (D) had appointed Miller to the seat.^[14]

If I didn't vote in the general election, can I still vote in the runoff?[edit]

• Yes.^[15]

If I wasn't registered to vote before the November election, can I register for the runoff?[edit]

• Yes, if you registered by the December 7, 2020, deadline. Find info on registering to vote and checking your registration status here.

Can I vote early?[edit]

• Yes. Early in-person voting began December 14, 2020. Find early voting locations here.

Can I vote by mail?[edit]

• Yes. Most Georgia voters who wanted to vote by mail needed to request an absentee ballot. Click here for information on submitting a request online, by mail, by fax, or in person. Voted absentee ballots needed to be received by 7 p.m. on January 5.

Can I vote in both races?[edit]

• Yes.

Do I have to vote in both races?[edit]

• No. Voters have a right to undervote, or not cast a vote for an office on their ballot. Their votes for other offices are still counted.

Do I have to vote for candidates from the same party in both races?[edit]

• No. Voters could vote for any candidate in either Senate race, as well as the Public Service Commission District 4 runoff race, regardless of who they voted for in the other races.

When will election winners be sworn in?[edit]

• The winners will be sworn in once results are certified.^[16] Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) has until January 22, 2021, to certify results.^[17] David Perdue's term ended at noon on January 3, 2021. The seat he held will be vacant until the regular runoff election results are certified. Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed to temporarily serve the term Johnny Isakson won, which ends January 2023. She will remain in office until the election is decided, and whoever wins the race will complete the term.^[18]

Pre-election analysis and commentary[edit]

Click the bars below to view analysis and commentary in each topic area.

• What's at stake with Senate control (click to expand)

  • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy wrote the following regarding the significance of Senate control for each party:^[19]

  “

  Without a Democratic Senate, Biden could be relegated to governing by executive orders and declarations, much the same way Trump has done since Democrats won control of the House in 2018. Republicans could have veto power over Biden’s Cabinet appointments and block his legislative agenda. With a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate, a Biden administration could hope to pass more progressive legislation on a range of priorities, starting with a pledge to expand voting rights legislation but also including a public option for health insurance, new climate change restrictions and a criminal justice overhaul.[2]

  ”

  • Axios' Glen Johnson and Hans Nichols wrote the following regarding limitations of a 50-50 split for Democratic control.^[20]

  “

  If Joe Biden wins the presidency, he could end up with a 50-50 Senate split — an outcome giving Democrats formal control of the upper chamber but also empowering individual senators greatly and requiring a procedural feat to abolish the 60-vote filibuster rule. Why it matters: A President Biden would need a Senate majority to make good on many of his campaign promises. That would happen only if Democrats make the bank shot of winning two likely Senate runoff races in Georgia in early January, climbing from the minority to a 50-50 split in the next Congress — with a Vice President Kamala Harris breaking tie votes. That power, enshrined in the Constitution, would allow Sen. Chuck Schumer to act as majority leader, but Schumer would have to broker a deal with Sen. Mitch McConnell about everything from floor procedures to committee seats. Democrats would still need to win 50 votes for any major institutional rule changes or big spending packages, and they'd need buy-in from potential rogue Democrats like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Outlying Republicans such as Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski could also hold leverage over their own party on narrow votes. Go deeper: In her role as the Senate's tie-breaker, Harris would be able to give Democrats the 51 votes they'd need to eliminate the filibuster for legislation, said Molly Reynolds of the Brookings Institution. But that's only if they could get the votes of all 50 Senate Democrats, including moderates like Manchin and Sinema. The Biden-Harris team hasn't taken an explicit position on the abolishing the filibuster and Biden — a 36-year veteran of the chamber — has voiced his support for keeping it. “They can try it but it’s very unlikely. In fact, I think it’s almost ridiculous to think about it,” says former Senate historian Donald A. Ritchie.[2]

  ”

  • The Washington Post's David Byler wrote the following about the runoffs' impact on the Senate's ideological leaning:^[21]

  “

  If Democrats win both of these seats (or score an upset in other uncalled races), and Biden prevails, they would control of the chamber. But their majority would be razor thin, with 50-50 ties broken by a Vice President Kamala D. Harris. Manchin, the most moderate member of the Senate, would be the key swing vote. If he refused to sign off on any piece of major legislation, Democrats would need to woo moderate Republicans, such as Maine’s Susan Collins or Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski. Democrats would still be able to govern, but progressive dreams would evaporate. And if Republicans disrupt any part of the Democratic Senate map — for example, by taking one or both Georgia seats — gridlock would reign supreme. A President Biden might be able to get Collins or Murkowski to sign off on some initiatives, but Murkowski would have a strong incentive to oppose him to ward off a primary challenge in 2022. In short, Georgians have a chance to determine the character of the Senate for at least the next two years. If they choose the Democrats, they’ll get a moderate-dominated, center-left government. If they choose Republicans, they’ll get Biden’s best attempt at a center-right compromise coalition.[2]

  ”

  • The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote the following about the runoffs' impact on the Senate's ideological leaning:^[22]

  “

  "Now we take Georgia, then we change the world. Now we take Georgia, then we change America." So declared an ebullient Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, on Saturday as he addressed supporters, and voters in Georgia should pay attention. The Peach State holds two Senate runoff races on Jan. 5, and how they turn out will determine whether Washington steers toward the center or sharply to the left. ... What difference would a single vote make? Republicans would lose their committee chairmanships and thus the power to serve as a check on the Biden Administration. Joe Biden deserves the Cabinet he wants in most cases, but a GOP Senate could deter appointments like Elizabeth Warren at Treasury. Oversight Chairman Ron Johnson’s probe of FBI and other abuses would cease. Or consider the Democrats poised to run key committees if they organize the Senate. Bernie Sanders would run Budget, which means a squeeze on the Pentagon. Sherrod Brown of Ohio would run Banking, and Ms. Warren would run the financial institutions subcommittee. Have fun, bankers. Oregon’s Ron Wyden would run Finance. He supports the $4 trillion Biden tax increase plus he wants to tax even unrealized capital gains as ordinary income. That means taxing the appreciation in the value of assets even if they aren’t sold during the year. He isn’t kidding. Some business folks think nothing like this could happen in a 50-50 Senate. West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin would supposedly save the day, or Joe Biden would intervene. Don’t count on it. Mr. Manchin is a reliable Democratic vote on every big issue when it really matters, and Mr. Biden will be under pressure from progressives (and Ms. Harris) to achieve their goals. ... All of this should be front-and-center for voters in the Georgia runoffs. The suburban Atlanta Republicans and independents who voted for Mr. Biden to oust Donald Trump are likely to support a GOP Senate as a check on Mr. Biden’s left wing if they know the stakes.[2]

  ”

  • The Washington Post's Helaine Olen wrote that a divided government in which Republicans maintain control of the Senate would hinder pandemic recovery:^[23]

  “

  This week, a survey from Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies and the Harris Poll came out that should have received more notice than it did. In many ways, it found what you would expect: Voters said the coronavirus was the most important issue in the election, followed by the economy and jobs. Most people, despite President Trump’s claims, believe Joe Biden won the election fairly. And then there was this: A majority of voters would prefer divided government. With Biden in the White House, they want to see a Republican Senate. Really. ... This would be a disastrous outcome. It would almost certainly result in a slower, more painful recovery from the pandemic-induced economic slowdown. It would also make it all but certain that Biden would be forced to turn to executive orders to get almost any part of his agenda accomplished, which means broader, systemic changes — a public option for health care, free tuition for community college students or an increase in the national minimum wage, which is still set at the poverty-level sum of $7.25 an hour — will not happen. ... People want to see results in Washington, and many believe it is dogmatic pols of both sides that are stopping it. But that’s not the issue. The problem is that one party — the Republican Party — does not want to share power. It’s transformed itself into an obstructionist force with little interest in compromise. This is why we’re struggling to make our way through a third wave of the covid-19 pandemic on the fumes of financial aid that is set to expire within weeks.[2]

  ”

• Potential outcomes (click to expand)

  • The New York Times' Luke Broadwater wrote the following about potential turnout challenges and opportunities for both parties:^[24]

  “

  It is traditionally more difficult for candidates to convince voters to turn out for elections that do not feature the presidential contest on the ballot, and this special election will come shortly after New Year’s with the country still in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. In the past, Democrats have struggled in such races, with Republicans dominating the format in conservative-learning Georgia. But both parties are expected to dump ample resources into turning out their voters for the runoffs, and since there are no other races happening around the country, enormous national attention will be focused on Georgia.[2]

  ”

  • The Wall Street Journal's Lindsay Wise, Cameron McWhirter, and Jennifer Calfas wrote the following about demographics, new Democratic voters, and Democrats' record in Georgia runoff elections:^[25]

  “

  Republicans have dominated Georgia politics for decades, but the Democratic Party is resurgent, bolstered by an influx of younger people and minorities, many of whom moved to metro Atlanta from the North. Voter-registration drives and lawsuits to change state election processes, led by organizations founded by former state House Democratic leader Stacey Abrams, have also brought in hundreds of thousands of new voters. A key question is whether Democrats will show up for the runoffs in the same numbers that they did in the general election. A nonpartisan study of the history of runoffs in Georgia found that, going back to 1988, there have been seven statewide runoff elections. Democrats won only one of them—and that was more than 20 years ago, in 1998.[2]

  ”

  • The Washington Examiner's Naomi Lim wrote that Democratic candidates are longshots and about potential turnout opportunities for both parties:^[26]

  “

  Ossoff and Warnock are still longshots in the traditionally conservative [state]. University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said Republicans have won the state's handful of general election runoffs because their voters have turned out at higher rates. But he said having two runoffs on the ballot may help bring out Democrats for a second time, particularly since Warnock could be Georgia's first black senator. "Democrats desperately need for African Americans to come back to the polls," he told the Washington Examiner, citing the 1992 and 2008 Senate runoffs in which there was a "dramatic" drop in black participation. Bullock pointed to Georgia exit polls published this week in which "upper 80s, 90%" of black voters cast their ballots for Biden. For Republicans, they may not have Trump and the White House to enthuse their base, yet an incentive to vote could be bolstering a GOP-controlled Senate majority to hold a hypothetical Biden administration to account.[2]

  ”

  • Stacey Abrams, the state's Democratic nominee for governor in 2018, said Democrats could win the runoffs due to investments, resources, and policy stances:^[27]

  “

  I want to push back against this anachronistic notion that we can’t win in Georgia. ... We will have the investment and resources that have never followed a runoff in Georgia for Democrats. ... This is going to be the determining factor of whether we have access to healthcare and access to justice in the United States. Those are two issues that will make certain that people turn out.[2]

  ”

  • National Review's John Fund wrote that demographic changes in Georgia were not likely to result in wins for the Democratic runoff candidates:^[28]

  “

  Georgia is certainly more competitive than it has been due to demographic changes and a drop-off in suburban women supporting Republicans. But it is easy to exaggerate the change. Georgia Democrats spent tens of millions of dollars to take control of one or more houses of the state legislature, hoping to exercise influence in next year’s redistricting process. Their effort failed. So far, Democrats have gained only one new seat in the Republican-controlled House — far short of the 16 seats needed to flip the chamber. Indeed, House Minority Leader Bob Trammell was defeated in his district southwest of Atlanta. A tough two months of runoff campaigning lie ahead. But the likely outcome in Georgia is that the incoming Biden administration will take office with no mandate and seeing its candidates repudiated in Georgia just before the president takes office on January 20. Even Chuck Schumer would recognize that’s not a platform from which to "change America."[2]

  ”

  • Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) won re-election in the Senate runoff election in 2008. Referring to that and a 1992 runoff for Senate, he said the following:^[29]

  “

  Both times before, Republicans really turned out and the Democrats didn't. ... This time around, I’m not so sure that is going to be the case. I have told my Republican colleagues that Democrats are fired up going into the race, and with Biden winning Georgia, I assume that gives them momentum.[2]

  ”

• Messaging and strategy (click to expand)

  • Paul Steinhauser wrote for Fox News that Democrats and Republicans were using the same messaging in the runoffs as in the 2020 elections:^[30]

  “

  In painting the Democratic candidates as socialists and extremists, the Republicans are reusing their playbook from the 2020 elections, which saw them make a big dent in the Democrats’ House majority and prevent a Democratic surge in the Senate. ... Democrats also appear to be recycling their playbook – with Ossoff and Warnock focusing on saving the Affordable Care Act and criticizing the GOP incumbents for failing to combat the coronavirus. Both attacks were successfully used by President Joe Biden in his campaign against President Trump.[2]

  ”

  • David Catanese and Alex Roarty wrote in the Raleigh News & Observer that prominent Democrats around the country framed the runoffs as a fight against Mitch McConnell while Ossoff and Warnock were more focused on policy proposals and criticisms of their opponents.^[31]

  “

  For prominent Democrats around the country, the message to Georgia voters about January’s runoff elections couldn’t be more clear: Voting for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock will keep Mitch McConnell from running the U.S. Senate. But the candidates themselves have embraced a more balanced approach, forming most of their pitches around policy proposals and character attacks on their GOP opponents without focusing solely on villainizing the Republican leader from Kentucky. The strategic divide reveals a broader debate now taking place inside the Democratic Party that revolves around McConnell and how the party should campaign in an era when Donald Trump is no longer president — one certain to simmer long after the Georgia races end and Joe Biden assumes office. ... But there’s a less noticed difference between the mindsets of the Ossoff and Warnock campaigns. Ossoff hasn’t shied away from tagging McConnell as the problem. Just this week, he sent a pair of tweets aimed at McConnell, and he regularly brings up McConnell’s name in TV interviews. Ossoff is also running a radio spot that warns, “Republicans will block everything Joe and Kamala try to do,” but doesn’t mention McConnell by name. ... While GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler invoked the name of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer nine times in their debate on Sunday, Warnock never mentioned McConnell at all. Warnock’s ads are designed to present him as a moral leader grounded in his biographical pastoral roots.[2]

  ”

  • Sahil Kapur wrote for NBC News that Perdue and Loeffler were working to turn out the GOP base as a unity ticket after running different types of campaigns ahead of the November 3 elections.^[32]

  “

  The senators are walking a fine line with their message, careful not to contradict President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede defeat. But the subtext is clear: Joe Biden will be president and advance a progressive agenda — but only if Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win the two Georgia Senate seats that would give their party control of the Senate. “We have a battle on our hands right now, folks. It’s going to be a long one. We are the firewall. Not just for the Senate, but the future of our country,” Loeffler told a packed crowd at the Black Diamond Grill, appearing with Perdue and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. “We will be your voice in Washington if you’re our voice on January 5.” The unified front by the two senators is an attempt to stir up the Republican base after Trump's shocking defeat in this historically conservative state. It carries some risks, particularly for Perdue, who has worked harder than Loeffler to appeal to swing voters. Perdue said he expects the election to be about base turnout. “What we have to do is not persuade people. What we have to do is get the vote out,” he said. Loeffler, who took office in January after being appointed to fill a vacancy, faced a “jungle primary” with candidates of all parties on the same ballot. She was primarily focused on defeating Republican challenger Rep. Doug Collins, and did so by hugging Trump tightly and labeling herself “more conservative than Attila the Hun.”[2]

  ”

• Fundraising and spending (click to expand)

  • FiveThirtyEight published an analysis of where ActBlue and WinRed donations for the runoffs came from between November 4 and November 23. Some excerpts:^[33]

  “

  …96 percent of the money Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff have raised for the runoff through ActBlue have come from out-of-state donors. They’ve raised a combined $4.3 million from Georgians on the platform, which puts the state seventh in cash donated to its own races via ActBlue, behind California ($25.8 million), New York ($10.6 million), Washington ($6.2 million), Massachusetts ($5.8 million), Texas ($4.9 million) and Florida ($4.8 million). ... “A full 92 percent of Republicans’ runoff donations on WinRed have come from outside Georgia, too. And their top source of cash has also been California ($6.8 million), followed by Texas ($6.6 million), Florida ($6.5 million) and then Georgia ($4.4 million).[2]

  ”

  • David Lauter of the Los Angeles Times wrote the following on December 25:^[34]

  “

  This week, alone, more than $87 million has been spent or booked in television, radio and digital ads in the state, according to AdImpact, a firm that tracks ad spending. That’s more than most Senate campaigns spend in an entire year. All told, some $365 million already has been spent for advertising in the two races, with another $110 million already booked, AdImpact’s figures show. Control of the Senate rides on the outcome of the two races, and with it a large part of President-elect Joe Biden’s agenda. ... That prospect has driven the huge outpouring of contributions, including large sums to four political committees controlled by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The four groups have spent or booked more than $132 million in advertising in support of the Republican candidates. That spending has given the Republicans an advantage in the ad wars. While outside Democratic groups are spending less than their Republican counterparts, they have still raised considerable sums. Fair Fight, founded by Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia, reported raising $22 million, with most of it being spent on voter turnout operations. Two groups controlled by Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer of New York have spent or booked roughly $30 million in advertising.[2]

  ”

• COVID-19 relief checks (click to expand)
  On December 21, Congress passed a $900 billion spending bill containing COVID-19 relief provisions, including $600 relief checks for most Americans. Loeffler and Perdue voted to pass the bill. President Donald Trump criticized the legislation, calling for $2,000 checks for most Americans. He signed the spending bill on December 27 and continued to call for increased relief payments.

  On December 28, the U.S. House passed a bill to increase relief checks to $2,000. Loeffler and Perdue expressed support for $2,000 relief checks on December 29. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) introduced a bill in the Senate that day including $2,000 relief checks as well as provisions related to social media platforms and election security.

  • ABC News' Quinn Scanlan wrote that Loeffler's and Perdue's support for $2,000 relief checks could benefit them in terms of Trump's support but disadvantage them when it comes to fiscally conservative voters.^[35]

  “

  The bill has forced many Republicans into a bind: either support the president to avoid his wrath and get more money to struggling Americans, or stand by their fiscal conservative values and reject the additional aid that would also increase the national debt. According to Congress' Joint Committee on Taxation, the $2,000 checks would cost an estimated $464 billion. Loeffler and Perdue chose the former, and while it may save them from earning a public rebuke from Trump, it also could cost them votes. "The risk that they would take if they were to vote against the president in between now and Jan. 4, is he might go after them when he comes to Dalton (to hold a rally)," University of Georgia Professor Charles Bullock, an expert in Southern politics, told ABC News on Tuesday. "We know the president does not hesitate to go after members of his own party if he feels they have betrayed him, and it looks like his antenna for identifying betrayers is particularly active right now." In fact, on Tuesday Trump tweeted: “Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP.” But while Republicans have supported bills in the past that added to the deficit -- the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being the most prominent recent example -- one longtime GOP strategist in Georgia who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly about the runoff races said the senators' support for the president's "populist" position could negatively impact them at the ballot box. "This is a majority conservative Republican state, and they believe in low taxes, and they don't believe in federal handouts. And so you have two U.S. senators who are saying, 'I believe in federal handouts.' You know, it's contradictory of where the majority of conservative Republican voters stand," the strategist said. "So these two senators have put themselves in a box where they have to support Donald Trump and his initiative to give everybody $2,000. That's not conservative Republican politics."[2]

  ”

  • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tia Mitchell and Greg Bluestein wrote that Warnock and Ossoff criticized Loeffler and Perdue for their positions on COVID-19 relief and that Democrats questioned the sincerity of the Republicans' support for $2,000 checks.^[36]

  “

  Ossoff and Warnock, along with their allies, have assailed the Republicans for not more assertively endorsing a more robust stimulus plan during months of negotiations. On Tuesday, they accused two senators of both flip-flopping and caving to pressure. “He hasn’t had a change of heart,” Ossoff said of Perdue. “He’s exclusively focused on his own political survival.” Both Perdue and Loeffler have been lukewarm in the past about more generous incentives. Loeffler criticized a push to increase unemployment insurance payments in July. And Perdue said the same month he’d prefer a new payroll tax cut rather than a “direct payment like we did in the first round” when Americans received $1,200 cash payments. The two incumbents join a small group of Senate Republicans, including Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, to back the increase. Still, a majority of the Senate GOP caucus is opposed to the plan. Democrats see a campaign ploy that won’t translate into results. Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic gubernatorial contender and voting rights activist, questioned whether the “miraculous ‘Road to Damascus’ support (will) be campaign headlines only or will Perdue and Loeffler actually do their jobs for Georgians and force McConnell to call a vote?”[2]

  ”

  • New York Magazine's Eric Levitz wrote that either the Democratic or Republican candidates could benefit from different scenarios concerning relief checks.^[37]

  “

  The president’s call for the bill’s relief payments to be increased from $600 to $2,000 gave the Democratic Party a fresh, highly salient wedge issue: According to polling from Data For Progress, roughly four out of five U.S. voters support $2,000 checks (a plausible figure given the popularity of relief payments among voters who are not conservative, and the popularity of doing whatever Donald Trump says among voters who are). Congressional Democrats quickly unified behind the proposal, passing an amendment out of the House, and lining up their entire Senate caucus in support. Shortly thereafter, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler realized that blocking a highly popular policy that Donald Trump demanded was not in their best interests, and declared their uncharacteristic support for spending over $460 billion on unconditional welfare payments. This development threatened to once again nullify the Democrats’ edge on stimulus in Georgia; to the extent that any congressional action will influence the runoffs’ outcome, having the state’s incumbent Republican senators deliver an additional $1,400 to almost all of their constituents on the eve of the election seemed like bad news for Ossoff and Warnock. But Mitch McConnell’s caucus is home to a few deficit hawks and many welfare despisers. So the Senate Majority Leader blocked an up-or-down vote on $2,000 checks, opting instead to wed the proposal to two of Donald Trump’s other demands — the repeal of the law that insulates social-media platforms from being sued for libel on the basis of statements their users post, and the formation of a commission to investigate voter fraud in the 2020 election. It is far from clear that most Republicans actually wish to repeal the former law, which would have a wide variety of chaotic consequences, many of which seem contrary to the interests of a political movement whose media has thrived on unmoderated social-media platforms. The point of rolling these demands together isn’t to ensure that they all pass, but rather, that they all fail — because Democrats blocked them. This gambit is clever but flawed. For one thing, Trump is still refusing to play his part. Instead of insisting that his three demands are inseparable, the president called for the immediate passage of $2,000 checks alone on Wednesday morning. ... McConnell’s scheming, and Perdue and Loeffler’s opportunistic positioning, still leave Ossoff and Warnock with a clear story to tell: Mitch McConnell is blocking a vote on $2,000 checks, and Georgia’s two Republican senators are the reason he has the power to block those checks. If Georgians vote for Democrats next week, Chuck Schumer will gain the reins of the Senate in late January, and a clean $2,000-check bill will be passed. If Georgians vote for Republicans, meanwhile, McConnell will carry on, standing athwart the money printer yelling stop.[2]

  ”

  • Former U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich (R) called on McConnell to separate the $2,000 relief check proposal from the social media and election security proposals, saying it would benefit Loeffler and Perdue if the relief check bill passed with their support.^[38]

  “

  I really am very worried that if [McConnell] plays a clever parliamentary game, it may look good inside the Senate, but it could cost us two Senate seats and control of the Senate, so I would beg him to bring up the $2,000 payment as a free-standing, independent vote and have people like Sen. Loeffler and Sen. Perdue able to come back and vote for it. Take it off the table as an issue. Because frankly, if Warnock and Ossoff can be in favor of the $2,000 ... and can attack Mitch McConnell for the next six days, I think it's very hard at that point to win the race. This is very straightforward. Once we get this solved, then it's a straightforward fight with two things: Turnout and making sure the ballot count is honest.[2]

  ”

In-depth race coverage[edit]

Regular election[edit]

See also: United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020 (Perdue vs. Ossoff runoff)

Candidate profiles[edit]

David Perdue

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

U.S. Senate (Assumed office: 2015)

Biography:  Perdue graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in industrial engineering in 1972 and obtained his master's degree in operations research from the same school in 1976. Perdue worked as a management consultant with the firm of Kurt Salmon Associates before moving into corporate leadership roles. He has worked as president and chief executive officer of Reebok, chairman and chief executive officer of Dollar General, and senior vice president of Asia operations for Sara Lee. Perdue is the co-founder of trading firm Perdue Partners.

---

Key Messages

---

Perdue's campaign website called him "the Original Outsider in the belly of the beast, fighting to change the direction of our country." 

---

Perdue said he had a record of delivering for Georgia on COVID relief, the economy, healthcare, global security, and veterans issues. He emphasized his background in business and said he worked with President Donald Trump to deliver a historic economic turnaround before COVID-19.

---

Perdue said Ossoff had a socialist agenda that included defunding the police, voting rights for people in the country illegally, and D.C. statehood. He also said Ossoff had business ties to communist China.

---

Sources: David Perdue 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed November 19, 2020, YouTube, "David Perdue," accessed November 19, 2020; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "PERDUE, David Alfred, Jr. (1949-)," accessed August 31, 2020, David Perdue 2020 campaign website, "Meet David," accessed August 31, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020

Jon Ossoff

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I run a small business that exposes corruption, organized crime, and war crimes for news organizations worldwide. My wife Alisha is an OB/GYN physician, and we both grew up in Atlanta. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a Master's of Science from the London School of Economics. Before embarking upon my career in journalism and media production, I worked as a national security aide for Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson, handling defense and economic policy. Since 2013, I have been the CEO of Insight TWI, a 30-year old media production company that produces investigations of corruption, organized crime, and war crimes that are broadcast internationally to a global television audience of hundreds of millions. In recent years, we have investigated and exposed sexual slavery of women and girls by ISIS, crooked judges, foreign officials who steal U.S-funded food and medical aid, contract killers, human traffickers, war crimes, and bribery."

---

Key Messages

The messages below are the candidate’s own.

---

Too many Georgians can't afford health care. The high cost is driven by the corrupt influence of the insurance and drug industries in Washington - a devastating product of our broken campaign finance system. In the U.S. Senate, I'll work to make quality health care a simple, affordable, and reassuring reality for ​all of us by supporting​ Medicaid expansion, a crackdown on price gouging, expansion of the U.S. Public Health Service, and federal investment in health clinics. I'll vote to add a nonprofit public option to the ACA exchange while defending every citizen's right to private insurance.

---

Lobbying and political contributions should not buy bailout money, unfair subsidies, or impunity for labor and environmental abuses. But as long as money buys political influence, our government's policies will favor the most powerful special interests. The health insurance, pharmaceutical, and fossil fuel industries have bought the allegiance of my opponent, Sen. David Perdue, and he in turn has voted in their interests rather than Georgia's interests. I run a business that investigates bribery and the abuse of power worldwide. I'm not taking contributions from corporate PACs, and my first act in the Senate will be to back a Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

---

The government's financial safety net for Wall Street is vast & instantaneous, while help for ordinary people & smaller firms has been meager & slow. Rather than relying on subsidies for investment banks as economic stimulus & hoping benefits trickle down, I'll support policies that help Georgia's families make & save more money: fast & direct emergency relief during economic crises, lower taxes for all but the wealthiest, debt-free public college, free vocational training, & health care guaranteed at an affordable price. And to create millions of jobs, revitalize our economy, and alleviate poverty, I'll support a historic infrastructure program to lay the foundation for decades of prosperity, sustainability, and health.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020

Click the links below for in-depth coverage of the regular runoff election between Perdue and Ossoff.

• Campaign ads
• Campaign finance
• Polls
• Debates and forums
• Campaign themes
• Noteworthy endorsements
• Timeline

Special election[edit]

See also: United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 (Loeffler vs. Warnock runoff)

Candidate profiles[edit]

Kelly Loeffler

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

U.S. Senate (Appointed, assumed office: 2020)

Biography:  Loeffler received a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.B.A. from DePaul University. She served as chief communications and marketing officer and as head of investor relations at Intercontinental Exchange. Loeffler became a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream WNBA team in 2011.

---

Key Messages

---

Loeffler emphasized her background growing up on a farm, waitressing through college, and becoming a businesswoman, saying she had lived the American dream.

---

Loeffler said she had delivered for Georgians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by bringing relief funds to families, hospitals, and businesses, and that she was the only candidate qualified to help rebuild the economy.

---

Loeffler said, "Chuck Schumer said it best, 'Now we take Georgia, then we change America.' They would increase our taxes, open our borders, socialize our healthcare, and my opponent, radical liberal Raphael Warnock, is his agent of change." She also criticized Warnock over past comments about the police and military.

---

Sources: Rev.com, "Georgia U.S. Senate runoff Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock debate in Atlanta (LIVE) USA TODAY," December 6, 2020; Kelly Loeffler's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed September 8, 2020; YouTube, Kelly Loeffler, Videos, accessed November 12, 2020; LinkedIn, "Kelly Loeffler," accessed December 2, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020

Raphael Warnock

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Warnock received a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College and an M.Div., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary. He became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in 2005. He served as chairman of the New Georgia Project from 2017 to 2020. Warnock graduated from the Leadership Program sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Summer Leadership Institute of Harvard University, and Leadership Atlanta.

---

Key Messages

---

Warnock emphasized his background growing up in a housing project with 11 sisters and brothers. He said his parents taught them the value of hard work, highlighting that he received a Ph.D. and became pastor of the church where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor.

---

Warnock said, "I’ve been fighting for access to affordable healthcare, I’ve been fighting for voting rights, I’ve been fighting for essential workers, ordinary people, because I know what it’s like to be an ordinary person."

---

Warnock said Loeffler wanted to take healthcare away from people in the middle of the pandemic and said she downplayed the pandemic publicly while selling stocks following a COVID-19 briefing for senators.

---

Sources: Rev.com, "Georgia U.S. Senate runoff Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock debate in Atlanta (LIVE) USA TODAY," December 6, 2020; Raphael Warnock's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed September 9, 2020; Raphael Warnock's 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed September 9, 2020; YouTube, "Reverend Raphael Warnock," accessed November 19, 2020; Twitter, "Raphael Warnock on November 5, 2020," accessed November 12, 2020; The New York Times, "Citing ‘Soul of Our Democracy,’ Pastor of Dr. King’s Church Enters Senate Race," updated February 25, 2020; Ebenezer Baptist Church, "Our Pastor," accessed September 9, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Georgia in 2020

Click the links below for in-depth coverage of the special runoff election between Loeffler and Warnock.

• Campaign ads
• Campaign finance
• Polls
• Debates and forums
• Campaign themes
• Noteworthy endorsements
• Timeline

Sample ballot[edit]

An image of Fulton County's sample runoff ballot is below.^[39] Ballots may have looked slightly different in other counties.

Noteworthy events[edit]

See also: Noteworthy events

CTCL COVID-19 Response grants[edit]

The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) announced on November 17 that "CTCL COVID-19 Response grant funds continue to be available to all Georgia counties. Every eligible Georgia election department that is verified as legitimate will be approved for a grant. The minimum CTCL COVID-19 Response grant amount award is $5,000 (unless a county submits a request for a lower dollar amount.)" The deadline to apply was December 15. CTCL's announcement said Georgia counties could use grant funds for the following:^[40]

During the 2020 election cycle, CTCL awarded over 2,500 coronavirus response grants to city and county election offices across the country. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan announced on September 1 that they were giving $250 million to CTCL to provide assistance to city and county election offices, which the group said it would use for poll worker recruitment, personal protective equipment, polling place rental, voter education activities, and more.^[41]

As of October 29, 43 Georgia counties had received CTCL grants.^[42] On December 21, DeKalb County reported receiving $4.6 million in CTCL grants for the runoff, in addition to the $4.8 million it had received from the group ahead of the November 3 election.^[43]

CTCL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Chicago, Illinois. As of December 2020, the group described itself as "a team of civic technologists, trainers, researchers, election administration and data experts working to foster a more informed and engaged democracy, and helping to modernize U.S. elections." The organization was founded in 2015.^[44]

Perdue entered quarantine after possible COVID-19 exposure[edit]

On December 31, 2020, Perdue announced he and his wife tested negative for COVID-19 but would quarantine after learning they had close contact with someone who tested positive.^[45]

Timeline[edit]

January 5, 2021[edit]

• On Fox & Friends, Perdue said of Ossoff that "most of his money comes from big tech out in California. You better bet he's going to be in their deep pocket as we turn around and try to hold big tech accountable for their vagaries over the last 10 years. And also, when we stand up to China, ask this young man what he's going to do to the people who put money in his pocket the last two years."^[46]
• Warnock campaigned in Marietta and Atlanta, according to a campaign email.

January 4, 2021[edit]

• President Donald Trump (R) held a rally in Dalton.^[47] Trump said, "Everything that we achieved together is on the line tomorrow. ... Our fight to take back our country from the big donors, the big media and the horrendous big tech giants." Trump said Loeffler and Perdue would protect Social Security, Medicare, and patients with pre-existing conditions. He also discussed his claims about election fraud in the state's presidential election while urging Republican voters to vote in the runoff: "The only way to combat the Democratic fraud is to flood your polling places with a historic tidal wave of Republican voters tomorrow."^[48]
• President-elect Joe Biden (D) held a rally with Ossoff and Warnock in Atlanta.^[47] Biden said Ossoff and Warnock would help deliver $2,000 relief checks to most Americans. "If you’re like millions of Americans all across this country, you need the money. You need the help and you need it now. Now, look, Georgia, there’s no one in America with more power to make that happen than you. … The power is literally in your hands. By electing Jon and the reverend, you can break the gridlock that has gripped Washington." Biden also said, "It’s not hyperbole, you can change America." He said of the presidential election, "Your voices were heard. Your votes were counted. The will of the people prevailed."^[49][50]
• Vice President Mike Pence held a "Faith Community Call To Action" event supporting Loeffler and Perdue in Milner.^[51]
• Ossoff and Warnock campaigned together in Augusta, according to a Warnock campaign email. Warnock also campaigned in Riverdale.
• Perdue remained in quarantine and participated in several media interviews.^[52] Perdue tweeted that he urged senators to object to the Electoral College certification process. Perdue's term ended on Jan. 3, so he would not be able to participate on Jan. 6.^[53]
• Ossoff campaigned in Conyers and Augusta. Ossoff also tweeted a video of him saying, "When the president of the United States calls up Georgia's election officials and tries to intimidate them to change the result of the election, to disenfranchise Georgia voters, to disenfranchise Black voters in Georgia who delivered this state for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, that is a direct attack on our democracy. And If David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler had one piece of steel in their spines, one shred of integrity, they would be out here defending Georgia voters from that kind of assault."^[54][55]
• Loeffler campaigned in Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, Albany, and Valdosta.^[56][57] Loeffler also announced she would support the objection to the Electoral College certification process on Jan. 6, saying, "I will vote to give President Trump & the American people the fair hearing they deserve."^[58]
• Warnock tweeted, "Unelected Senator @KLoeffler wants to undermine your vote and overturn Georgia's election. Let's show her that Georgia voters will not be silenced or ignored. Tomorrow, let's vote her out."^[59]

January 3, 2021[edit]

• Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D) held a rally with Ossoff and Warnock in Savannah.^[60]
• Former First Lady Michelle Obama's organization When We All Vote hosted a get-out-the-vote concert in Atlanta.^[61]
• Ossoff held a virtual get-out-the-vote event with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).^[62]
• Former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski campaigned for Loeffler and Perdue in Sugar Hill.^[63]
• Loeffler campaigned in Cherokee County. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) joined her in McDonough.^[64]
• Perdue's term in the Senate ended. Former Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) campaigned on David's behalf, making several stops throughout the weekend while the latter was in quarantine. David Perdue participated in several interviews throughout the weekend, including with Fox & Friends and Breitbart News Radio.^[65][66]

January 2, 2020[edit]

• Ossoff held a rally in Macon and other campaign events in Eatonton, Stone Mountain, Athens, and Savannah.^[67]
• Loeffler campaigned in Fayette, Carroll, Gwinnett, Jefferson, and Forsyth counties. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Public Service Commissioner Bubba McDonald (R) joined Loeffler in Forsyth County.^[68]
• Warnock campaigned in Valdosta, Albany, and Brunswick.^[69]

January 1, 2021[edit]

• Warnock held events in LaGrange, Columbus, Culloden, Macon, Dublin, and Upson.^[70]
• Ossoff held a "Swag Bag Giveaway" event in East Point.^[71]

December 31, 2020[edit]

• This was the last day of early in-person voting in most Georgia counties.^[72][73]
• Perdue announced he and his wife tested negative for COVID-19 but would quarantine after learning they had close contact with someone who tested positive.^[74]
• Loeffler campaigned in Norcross, Gwinnett County, and Marietta. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appeared at an early vote concert Loeffler hosted in Gainesville.^[75]

December 30, 2020[edit]

• This was the last day of early in-person voting in Bibb, Butts, Camden, Fulton, Henry, Pickens, Taylor, and Upson counties. (Voting open at main election office only in Henry Dec. 31.)^[72][73]
• Perdue was on Fox & Friends and three radio shows. He discussed early voting, COVID-19 stimulus checks, election security, and more.^[76] Perdue said of Mitch McConnell introducing a bill combining stimulus checks with other provisions, "The Democrats themselves held this up for months, and so here in the last minute, they're complaining about the normal operation of the Senate. … I can tell you the three things that Mitch McConnell is trying to do are in line with what the president has said."^[77] Perdue also campaigned in Hiawassee, LaFayette, Summerville, and Bremen.^[78]
• The Warnock campaign released audio of a robocall Michelle Obama recorded supporting Warnock.^[79]
• Loeffler campaigned in Augusta.^[80]

December 29, 2020[edit]

• Perdue tweeted, "President @realdonaldtrump is right — I support this push for $2,000 in direct relief for the American people."^[81] He also campaigned in Forsyth, Thomaston, Milner, Jackson, and McDonough.^[82]
• Ossoff said in a statement about Perdue's support for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks: "The people have needed help, but for the past year, David Perdue has opposed all direct relief for working Georgians even while he cashed out personally on the pandemic by trading medical stocks. He hasn’t had a change of heart — he’s exclusively focused on his own political survival. Georgians deserve a Senator who will always look out for them, not just when it’s politically convenient."^[83]
• Loeffler appeared on Fox & Friends and said regarding $2,000 relief checks, "I've stood by the president 100% of the time. I'm proud to do that, and I've said, absolutely, we need to get relief to Americans now, and I will support that. ... Democrats have blocked relief time and again. … We have to hold Democrats accountable on January 5th. Because that's what's on the ballot. Who's going to fight for the American people? That's what David Perdue and I have been doing since Day 1, and we're going to continue to do that."^[84] Loeffler also campaigned in Cherokee, Paulding, and Coweta counties.^[85]
• Warnock held a drive-in rally in Atlanta, according to a campaign email. He also said in a statement about Loeffler's support for $2,000 stimulus checks, "Kelly Loeffler made clear her priorities when she sold $3 million of her own stock while downplaying the pandemic, called unemployment relief 'counterproductive,' and then waited nearly nine months to take any action on additional relief while Georgians lost their jobs. Georgians learned long ago they can’t trust Kelly Loeffler to look out for anyone but herself."^[86]

December 28, 2020[edit]

• Perdue participated in an interview on The Hugh Hewitt Radio Show. He discussed early voting numbers, his ideas about the effects of the runoff elections on military funding and foreign policy, and COVID-19 relief.^[87] He also campaigned in Greene County, Milledgeville, Sandersville, Laurens County, and Eastman.
• Ossoff appeared on MSNBC's The ReidOut Monday night, where he called on Perdue to commit to voting for $2,000 relief checks.^[88]
• Ossoff and Warnock held a drive-in rally in Lithonia.^[89]
• Warnock held a drive-in rally in Gwinnett County, according to a campaign email.
• Loeffler campaigned in Watkinsville.^[90]
• Perdue and Loeffler campaigned together in Greensboro.^[91]
• Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) campaigned for Loeffler and Perdue in Savannah.^[92]

December 27, 2020[edit]

• Ossoff held an "Artists for Ossoff" kickoff event in Atlanta, unveiling a mural his campaign commissioned to encourage voting in the runoff.^[93]
• Loeffler campaigned in Columbus and Albany.^[94]
• Warnock held drive-in rallies in South Fulton and Dekalb County, according to a campaign email.

December 26, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler campaigned in Milton, Homerville, and Bainbridge.^[95]

December 24, 2020[edit]

• Updated campaign finance reports showed the following fundraising totals for the candidates through Dec. 16. Overall election cycle totals are presented first, following by the most recent reporting period's totals in parentheses:^[96]
  • Perdue: $89.5 million ($68 million Oct. 15-Dec. 16)
  • Ossoff: $139.6 million ($107 million Oct. 15-Dec. 16)
  • Loeffler: $92.2 million ($64 million Oct. 15-Dec. 16)
  • Warnock: $125.4 million ($103 million Oct. 15-Dec. 16)

December 22, 2020[edit]

• Perdue campaigned in Clarke, Jackson, Barrow, Oconee, and Morgan counties.^[97]
• Ossoff spoke at Morris Brown College. He said he would work to secure funding for historically black colleges and universities if elected.​​​​​​^[98]
• The day after Congress passed a $900 billion spending bill with COVID-19 relief provisions, which Loeffler and Perdue voted to pass, the candidates weighed in on the bill.
  • Perdue tweeted an ad saying Ossoff "opposed past COVID relief and encouraged Democrats to block additional aid for months, but Sen. Perdue never gave up. Perdue again delivered real, meaningful help for Georgians: $900 billion in new COVID relief, direct checks to Georgians, critical funding for vaccine distribution, small businesses, public schools, and help for folks out of work."^[99]
  • Ossoff tweeted, "Even @realdonaldtrump says $600 is a joke. @Perduesenate, do better." Ossoff said in an interview with MSNBC that he would have voted for the bill because people need help, but that the direct payments are not enough and that Republicans in the Senate, including Perdue, held up relief. Ossoff said, "We need additional, substantial, direct COVID relief, and the only way we'll get it is by winning these two Senate races in Georgia."^[100]
  • Loeffler tweeted, "We just secured an additional $900 billion in targeted relief, more PPP funding, and extended unemployment benefits by 11 weeks. @ReverendWarnock has done NOTHING to help Georgians during this pandemic except peddle lies and play politics."^[101]
  • Warnock tweeted the following:^{[102][103][104]}

"Billionaire @KLoeffler thinks $600 will cover your rent, groceries, and hospital bills."

"When we take back the Senate, @ossoff and I will pass $1200 stimulus checks."

"If Democrats controlled the Senate, aid for essential workers in local governments — firefighters, law enforcement, teachers — would be in the COVID relief bill. Republicans refused to vote for a bill with that aid in it. It's time to fire @KLoeffler and @Perduesenate."

• Fox News aired police body camera footage showing Warnock's ex-wife making allegations about his behavior. In March, she claimed Warnock had run over her foot with a car. Warnock was not charged, and he has denied the allegation.^[105]
  • Loeffler's campaign said in a statement, "Raphael Warnock’s ex-wife Ouleye’s allegations are deeply troubling. Domestic abuse is a very serious issue, and this new body cam footage is certainly difficult to watch. Georgians deserve answers to these very serious allegations, and his ex-wife’s voice deserves to be heard."^[106]
  • Warnock's campaign said Loeffler "spent her entire campaign attacking Reverend Warnock and has now stooped to a new low of attacking his family. … While she continues to wage her pathetic and dishonest campaign, Reverend Warnock will keep fighting for the people of Georgia who Kelly Loeffler left behind."^[107]

December 21, 2020[edit]

• Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D) headlined a rally in Columbus with Ossoff and Warnock.^[108]
• Ivanka Trump attended an early vote event with Perdue and Loeffler in Fulton County.^[109] Loeffler and Perdue also campaigned in Walton County.^[110]
• Politico's Steven Shepard wrote that most major pollsters stayed out of the runoffs due partly to the timing of the elections:^[111]

December 20, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler and Perdue held a rally with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in Forsyth County. Loeffler also campaigned with Haley in Augusta, Demorest, and Evans.^[112] Former Gov. Nathan Deal (R) appeared at the Demorest rally.^[113]
• Perdue campaigned with Reps.-elect Michelle Steel and Young Kim (R-Calif.) in Norcross.^[114]
• Warnock held a drive-in church service in Macon, according to a campaign email.

December 19, 2020[edit]

• Perdue and Donald Trump Jr. appeared in Bulloch County and Catoosa County.^[115]
• Ossoff held meet-and-greet events in Statesboro and Hinesville.^[116]
• Ossoff and Warnock held a rally with rapper Common in Garden City.^[117]
• Loeffler made campaign stops in Kingsland, Brunswick, and Waycross.^[118]

December 18, 2020[edit]

• Perdue held a rally with Donald Trump Jr. in Ocilla.^[119]
• Loeffler held a rally with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and country music artist Travis Tritt in Smyrna.^[120] Cruz and Scott also appeared at a Club for Growth Action-sponsored rally.^[121]
• Ossoff held meet-and-greet events in Bainbridge and Thomasville.^[122]

December 17, 2020[edit]

• Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined two "Defend the Majority" rallies in Columbus and Macon with Loeffler and Perdue.^[123]
• Warnock made a campaign stop in Marietta, according to an email from his campaign. He also appeared on The View, where he said Loeffler profited off of stock trades during the pandemic’s early days.^[124]
• Ossoff continued his “Health, Jobs, and Justice” bus tour with stops in Albany and Americus.^[125]
• 11Alive's Joe Ripley reported that 486,829 people voted early in person between Dec. 14 and Dec. 16.^[126]
• According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, nearly 76,000 new voters registered in Georgia between the presidential election and the Dec. 7 deadline for runoff participation.^[127]

December 16, 2020[edit]

• Ossoff held a rally in Columbus.^[128]
• Perdue made stops in Musella, Americus, Leesburg, and Cataula.^[129]
• Warnock's schedule for the day included stopping at early voting places in Stockbridge and Jonesboro and holding a rally with volunteers in Clarkston, according to a campaign email.
• Loeffler campaigned in Bartow and Paulding counties.^[130]
• Ossoff and Warnock held a livestream with Alyssa Milano, Leslie Jones, and Misha Collins.^[131]
• Local news outlet News4Jax published comparisons of runoff candidates' backgrounds and statements about their positions on 18 issues:
  • Loeffler/Warnock comparison
  • Perdue/Ossoff comparison

December 15, 2020[edit]

• President-elect Joe Biden (D) held a drive-in rally in Atlanta. Ossoff, Warnock, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D), and 2018 gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) attended.^[132]
• Ossoff's campaign hosted a virtual "Women to Women Friendbanking" event with actress Emmy Rossum.^[133]
• Perdue campaigned in Fayetteville, Newnan, LaGrange, Carrollton, and Dallas.^[134]
• Loeffler campaigned in Catoosa County, Rome, and Woodstock.^[135]
• Facebook Product Manager Sarah Schiff announced that Facebook was lifting its post-election advertising ban for Georgia's runoffs starting Dec. 16. She wrote the following:^[136]

December 14, 2020[edit]

• This was the first day of early voting in the runoff elections.
• Warnock and Ossoff held an early vote car rally in Atlanta.^[137]
• Warnock cast his early vote with former Atlanta Mayor and former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young.^[138]
• Loeffler appeared on Fox & Friends, saying, "The president came here last week and urged voters to exercise their right, and it's vitally important that we do that, because Georgia is the firewall to socialism."^[139] Loeffler also campaigned in Henry and Monroe counties with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).^[140][141]
• Perdue appeared on Fox & Friends and encouraged Georgians to turn out and vote. He said of the general election, "52-and-a-half percent of Georgians rejected Jon Ossoff in my race and this liberal leftist agenda, so I'm confident if we get our vote out, we will win again."^[142] Perdue also started his "Early Vote Tour" in Glynn County. Former Gov. Sonny Perdue (R), David's cousin, joined him in Macon and Albany. The senator also stopped in Savannah, Augusta, Dalton, and Atlanta. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) joined him in Augusta.^[143]
• Loeffler and Perdue published an op-ed in The Washington Times. They wrote, in part:^[144]

December 13, 2020[edit]

• Ossoff launched a "Health, Jobs and Justice" bus tour in Augusta.^[145]

December 12, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler and Perdue campaigned together in Savannah.^[146]
• Perdue also campaigned in Uvalda, Hazlehurst, and Douglas.^[147]

December 11, 2020[edit]

• Warnock launched a "Get Ready to Vote" tour encouraging in-person early voting. An email from the Warnock campaign said he would be holding rallies in Atlanta, Athens, and Augusta Dec. 11. Rallies were scheduled for Dec. 12 in Savannah, Waycross, and Albany. Warnock was set to hold a drive-up worship service in Columbus and a rally in Warner Robins Dec. 13.
• Loeffler kicked off her "Senate Firewall Tour." She campaigned in Commerce, Dawsonville, Milledgeville, Savannah, and Warner Robins Dec. 11-13.^[148]
• Club for Growth Action launched a Save America Tour across Georgia in support of Loeffler and Perdue, set to include Republican officeholders and candidates who recently won election and to continue until Dec. 21.^[149]

December 10, 2020[edit]

• President-elect Joe Biden announced the Flip Georgia Fund, where donations would be split evenly between the Ossoff campaign, the Warnock campaign, and the Democratic National Committee.^[150]
• Perdue and Loeffler joined the Georgia Republican Party and the National Republican Senatorial Committee in a federal lawsuit requesting that the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia order increased signature verification standards for absentee ballots. ^[151]

The suit reads: "Unfortunately, there are constitutional flaws in the current process for checking absentee voter signatures that must be remedied before county clerks begin processing absentee ballots on December 21, after which time constitutional violations will be impossible to remedy. Plaintiffs seek modest injunctive relief targeted at improving election administration before the election votes are processed. All validly cast votes should be counted and none of those should be diluted by counting invalid or unverified ballots."

• Loeffler shared statements from four leaders of groups opposing abortion, including National Right to Life and Susan B. Anthony List, criticizing Warnock and praising Loeffler. Loeffler's campaign press release read, "While Warnock has been endorsed and bankrolled by Planned Parenthood and NARAL – two extremist groups notorious for their support of unlimited abortion-on-demand – Senator Loeffler is 100% pro-life, and has the endorsement of every major pro-life group in the nation – including those listed above."^[152]
• Perdue campaigned in Richmond County and Louisville. He also attended a "Defend the Majority" rally in Augusta with Vice President Mike Pence.^[153]
• Ossoff spoke with radio station WAOK's Juandolyn Stokes about healthcare and economic recovery.^[154]

December 9, 2020[edit]

• Perdue and Loeffler issued a joint statement supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's (R) lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In the suit, Paxton alleges that the states made last-minute election changes that skewed results. Paxton filed the suit in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Perdue and Loeffler's joint statement said the following:^[155]

• Perdue appeared on Newsmax's Greg Kelly Reports and Fox News At Night With Shannon Bream.^[156][157] He made campaign stops in Habersham, Stephens, Hart, Lincoln, McDuffie, and Columbia counties.^[158]
• Ossoff held a car rally in Macon Dec. 9. State Rep. Miriam Paris (D), state Sen. David Lucas (D), and gospel singer Tasha Cobbs spoke in support of him and Warnock at the rally.^[159]
• Warnock thanked the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC for endorsing him: "I’m proud to receive your endorsement & I’m grateful for the work you do to support our party’s values. Echoing Dr. King, as senator I’ll stand for Israel’s security & will work to strengthen the alliance between our nations."^[160]

December 8, 2020[edit]

• Perdue campaigned in Dawson, Fannin, Union, Towns, and White counties Dec. 8 as part of his "Win Georgia, Save America" bus tour.^{[161][162][163][164][165]}
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) headlined a virtual fundraiser along with Ossoff and Warnock.^[166]
• Ossoff held a drive-thru yard sign giveaway event in Atlanta with former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and 2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro (D).^[167] He also participated in an interview with WCTV's Michael Hudak. Ossoff discussed his relationship with former Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Perdue's criticisms, and Perdue's decision not to participate in debates during the runoff.^[168]
• Loeffler participated in an interview with Fox News' Martha MacCallum. Loeffler discussed election security and said it's important for Republican voters to turn out for the runoffs. She also criticized Warnock's past comments about police and the military.^[169]

December 7, 2020[edit]

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) headlined a virtual fundraising event supporting Ossoff and Warnock.^[170]
• Perdue talked with Newsmax's Sean Spicer about his decision not to attend the Dec. 6 debate. Perdue said, "We've already debated the issues. We did that during the general election. In the runoff, it's all about turnout."^[171]
• Warnock and Ossoff released a joint statement about Cobb County's decrease in early voting locations from 11 before the Nov. 3 election to five before the Jan. 5 runoffs. Cobb Elections Director Janine Eveler said they could only staff five early voting locations ahead of the runoffs. Ossoff and Warnock wrote:^[172][173]

December 6, 2020[edit]

• The Atlanta Press Club hosted a debate at 7 p.m. between Loeffler and Warnock. Ossoff appeared alone at 5 p.m. as Perdue declined the Atlanta Press Club's invitation.^[174] Click here for coverage of the Loeffler-Warnock debate and here for more on the Ossoff event.
• Perdue campaigned with former Gov. Sonny Perdue (R), his cousin, in Houston County.^[175]

December 5, 2020[edit]

• President Donald Trump (R) headlined a rally with Perdue, Loeffler, and Public Service Commissioner Lauren "Bubba" McDonald (R) at the Valdosta Regional Airport. The Republican National Committee hosted the rally.^[176]
• Ossoff and Warnock campaigned together in Lithonia.^[177]
• Perdue campaigned with U.S. Rep. Daniel Crenshaw (R-Texas) in Floyd County.^[178]

December 4, 2020[edit]

• Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined a "Defend the Majority" rally with Loeffler, Perdue, and McDonald in Savannah.^[179]
• Former President Barack Obama (D) headlined a virtual get-out-the-vote rally with Ossoff and Warnock. U.S. Rep.-elect Nikema Williams (D) and 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams also attended.^[180]

December 3, 2020[edit]

• Perdue appeared at a town hall with Fox News' Laura Ingraham. He said of suburban women: "They want to know when they get their lives back to normal. They're worried about the safety of their kids, the safety of their neighborhoods, and so forth. They want the police funded and defended. They don't want to defund the police. That's ridiculous. So a lot of people who … maybe voted against Trump, for whatever reason, we think may come back to use because they see the value of split government."^[181]
• Loeffler announced her "Prosperity Plan," which she described as "a comprehensive package designed to serve economically distressed communities and promote success by spurring investment and revitalization in our country’s most underserved areas." It includes the Economic Empowerment for Underserved Communities Act, which she said "will expand access to the capital required to support minority-owned businesses, create jobs and promote economic revitalization."^[182]
• The Asian American Advocacy Fund PAC hosted a text-banking event aimed at turning out Asian American and Pacific Islander voters for Ossoff and Warnock.^[183]

December 2, 2020[edit]

• According to ad tracking company AdImpact, the four Senate campaigns and various satellite groups were poised to spend more than $300 million on advertising in the runoffs. The figure included TV, radio, and digital ad time already purchased or reserved. Republican supporters accounted for $177 million of the total spending and Democratic supporters, $130 million.^[184]
• The Georgia Working Families Party announced it would hold virtual phone-banking events in support of Warnock Mondays through Thursdays.^[185]
• Georgia Republican Party spokesperson Abigail Sigler commented on billboards featuring the message, "Perdue/Loeffler Didn't Deliver For Trump, Don't Deliver For Them," that Really American PAC was crowdfunding for. Sigler said, "It's disappointing to see an extreme left-wing super PAC come into Georgia with the sole intention of deceiving voters, but no amount of billboards will divide Georgia Republicans who know that Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue continue to stand with President Donald Trump."

The PAC said, "If David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win the run-off election, Donald Trump will become the only Republican to lose Georgia in a generation. … In a rare twist of fate, Trump supporters and those who want to see Reverend Warnock and Jon Ossoff win have a shared interest in seeing the two Republicans who failed to deliver a victory for Trump (Loeffler & Perdue), lose."^[186]

December 1, 2020[edit]

• Ossoff kicked off a series of door-knocking events in several cities.^[187] His campaign also launched TikTok and Snapchat accounts to share policy positions, voting information, and videos of Ossoff on the campaign trail.^[188]
• Warnock's campaign held a fundraiser hosted by 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Lisa Borders, former president of the WNBA and Atlanta City Council.^[189]
• Gabriel Sterling, voting system implementation manager with the Georgia Secretary of State office, called on Trump, Perdue, and Loeffler to condemn threats of violence to election officials:^[190]

Stephen Lawson, Loeffler campaign spokesperson, said the following:

Casey Black, Perdue campaign spokesperson, said the following:

November 30, 2020[edit]

• The Georgia Democratic Party, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Ossoff and Warnock campaigns announced the leadership team for a coordinated runoff campaign, focused on voter outreach and targeting.^[191]

November 28, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler campaigned with U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R) at a gun range in Jasper. Collins ran in the November 3 special election and came in third. He received 20% of the vote to Loeffler's 26%.^[192]
• Ossoff campaigned at three small businesses in southwest Atlanta.^[193]
• Warnock spoke at a community outreach event at Ebenezer Baptist Church.^[193]
• Ronna Romney McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, held a meet-and-greet in Marietta, where she urged Republican voters to turn out for the runoffs.^[194]
• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) endorsed Ossoff.^[195]

November 27, 2020[edit]

• Stacey Abrams, 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, began hosting weekly briefings with entertainment executives, managers, and agents on how they could boost the Democratic Senate campaigns.^[196]

November 24, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler, Perdue, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) campaigned in Thomasville.^[197]

November 23, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler's campaign announced that she received a second consecutive negative COVID test result.^[198] A test on November 21 was inconclusive.^[199] On November 20, Loeffler took two tests; the PCR test came back positive and the rapid test came back negative.^[200]

November 20, 2020[edit]

• Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined two rallies with Loeffler and Perdue.^[201]

November 19, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler and Perdue held a joint campaign event in Perry.^[202]
• The Senate Georgia Battleground Fund—a joint fundraising committee between Loeffler, Perdue, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee—released its leadership list, including Karl Rove as national finance chairman.^[203] Rove was deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush (R).

November 18, 2020[edit]

• AdImpact (previously Advertising Analytics) reported that the four campaigns, national political parties, and satellite groups had spent $120 million on advertising for the runoffs.^[204] The group reported $75 million spent toward the race between Loeffler and Warnock—$47 million by Republican supporters and $28 million by Democratic supporters. The group reported $45 million spent toward the race between Perdue and Ossoff—$27 million by Republican supporters and $18 million by Democratic supporters.^[205]
• Warnock and Ossoff campaigned together in Clayton County.^[206]

November 17, 2020[edit]

• Senate Majority PAC launched two groups—Georgia Honor and The Georgia Way—to administer runoff ad spending. The groups released their first ads opposing Loeffler and Perdue.^[207]

• The Senate Leadership Fund released its first runoff ad, which opposed Ossoff.

• American Crossroads released its first runoff ads, which opposed Warnock.

• Loeffler and Warnock agreed to participate in an Atlanta Press Club debate on December 6.^[208]

November 16, 2020[edit]

• Perdue declined an Atlanta Press Club invitation to a debate with Ossoff, and Ossoff agreed to participate.^[208]
• President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Loeffler and reiterated his endorsement of Perdue in a tweet. Trump endorsed Perdue in June and did not endorse in the November 3 all-party special election.^[209][210]

November 13, 2020[edit]

• The Republican National Committee announced it planned to invest at least $20 million in the regular and special Senate runoff races.^[211]

• The Democratic Party of Georgia released a memo outlining "the strategies and tactics used by Biden for President, Jon Ossoff for Senate, and Warnock for Georgia, in conjunction with the Democratic Party of Georgia, to turn the state of Georgia blue for the first time since 1992."^[212]
  • Of Ossoff, the memo said in part, "In recent weeks, Jon Ossoff has made national news for keeping David Perdue on the run, forcing conversations Perdue wanted to avoid on health care, pre-existing conditions, the coronavirus pandemic, and his stock trades. None of those things have changed. … Jon Ossoff is the strongest Democratic Senate candidate heading into a runoff that Georgia has seen in decades. The campaign has a robust and expanding volunteer organization, including a massive voter registration operation, that was already prepared to advance to the runoff, because there was always going to be a runoff in the other Senate seat."
  • Of Warnock, the memo said in part, "Joe Biden’s general election victory in Georgia makes clear the path to 50+1 in Georgia runs through energetic turnout of the Abrams-established coalition in key counties and the bipartisan appetite for leaders who seek to unite Georgians, not divide them. ... In the next eight weeks, the Warnock campaign will work to coalesce support from Georgia Democrats and independent voters who selected another candidate in our race and expand on that 50+1 margin with new voters registered ahead of the December 7 deadline."

November 12, 2020[edit]

• Loeffler and Perdue released their first runoff ads. Loeffler's campaign also launched a website, RadicalRaphael.com, opposing Warnock.

• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a fundraising email on behalf of Warnock. The email read, "These runoff elections will determine which party controls the Senate. And gaining a Democratic majority is essential if we are going to put forth a progressive agenda that includes health care as a right, a Green New Deal, a living wage of $15 an hour, criminal justice reform and so many other important issues. ... I am writing now to ask you to contribute to Rev. Raphael Warnock, a strong progressive, who has an excellent chance to win. ... He is running on a platform of universal health care, workers' rights and protecting our environment."^[213]

November 9, 2020[edit]

• Stacey Abrams announced that Fair Fight had raised $6 million in support of Ossoff's and Warnock's runoff bids.^[214] Abrams founded the group, whose website said it "promote[s] fair elections in Georgia and around the country, encourage[s] voter participation in elections, and educate[s] voters about elections and their voting rights."^[215]

• Loeffler and Perdue released a joint statement calling for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to step down. The statement read:^[216]

Raffensperger responded, in part, with the following. Read Raffensperger's full statement here.

Nov. 7, 2020[edit]

• Ossoff released his first runoff ad.

Nov. 6, 2020[edit]

• Perdue's percentage of votes in the regular election dropped below 50%. The Associated Press called a runoff for the race.

Perdue's campaign said in a statement, "There is one thing we know for sure: Sen. David Perdue will be reelected to the U.S. Senate and Republicans will defend the majority. ... If overtime is required when all of the votes have been counted, we're ready, and we will win."

Ossoff said that day before the AP call, "We have all the momentum, we have all the energy, we're on the right side of history. Y'all ready to work? We're just getting started."^[217]

Nov. 5, 2020[edit]

• Warnock released his first runoff ad.

Get ready Georgia. The negative ads against us are coming.

But that won’t stop us from fighting for a better future for Georgians and focusing on the issues that matter. pic.twitter.com/VN0YIA02MG

— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) November 5, 2020

Nov. 3, 2020[edit]

• General elections were held. The Associated Press called a runoff for the special election, while the regular election remained too close to call.

Loeffler said, "In January, I have one of the most radical opponents on the Democratic ticket in the whole country: Raphael Warnock."^[218]

Warnock said that night, "Over the next two months, you’re going to see the petty and personal attacks that have become too much a part of the culture of Washington. ... They’re going to try to distract us and divide us by making us afraid of one another. And here’s why: People who lack vision traffic in division."^[219]

Noteworthy supporters[edit]

The runoff elections drew active involvement from prominent political figures within the state and across the country, including President Trump, former President Barack Obama, U.S. senators and governors, and noteworthy candidates.

The table below lists political figures who were actively involved in both runoff elections. Involvement included fundraising for, donating to, and campaigning with candidates in both races.

Runoff campaign stops by political region[edit]

Where did candidates spend the most facetime?

The Washington Post delineated six political regions in Georgia: Atlanta, Atlanta Burbs, Black Belt, North Georgia, Piedmont, and South Georgia. David Weigel wrote:

Click here to see a map of the regions and more information on each.

We emailed campaigns and used social media posts, events pages, and news articles to document campaign stops between the Nov. 3 election and the Jan. 5 runoff. The table below shows the number of individual days we found that a candidate held one or more in-person campaign events in a region. Most-visited regions for each candidate are highlighted in yellow.

Note: Warnock's campaign sent us a list of campaign stop locations that fell within each of the six political regions. We were unable to obtain dates for all those stops. Those for which we found dates are included below.

Vote shares by county[edit]

The following maps provide a breakdown of vote shares by county for the regular and special elections in November and January.

January runoff election vote shares[edit]

The following maps show 1) Perdue's and Ossoff's vote shares by county and 2) Loeffler's and Warnock's vote shares by county in the Jan. 5 runoff elections. Hover over counties to see vote percentages in each.

November general election vote shares[edit]

The following maps show: 1) Perdue's and Ossoff's vote shares by county and 2) special election Republican candidates' and Democrats candidates' vote shares by county in the Nov. 3 elections. Twenty candidates ran in the special election, including eight Democrats and six Republicans. We combined vote shares for each party in the second map below.

Color differences between the maps represent small differences in vote percentages between the two elections. For example, Washington County is light pink in the first map and light blue in the second map. Perdue received a plurality in Washington County with 49.9% to Ossoff's 48.2%. In the special election, all Democratic candidates combined received a plurality of votes in Washington County with 49.5%, compared to the 49.2% all Republican candidates received.

Hover over counties to see vote percentages in each.

Click here for a map showing vote shares by county for Loeffler, Warnock, and Doug Collins (R) in the special election.

Joint campaign organization[edit]

Current as of December 2020

Democratic and Republican candidates in the runoff races have joint fundraising committees. Democrats also have a coordinated voter outreach campaign.

Republican joint fundraising committee[edit]

Senate Georgia Battleground Fund is a joint fundraising committee between Loeffler, Perdue, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).^[255]

Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush, serves as the committee's national finance chairman. The NRSC said the "presidential level fundraising operation features a leadership team of state chairs from nearly all 50 states and a team of national and honorary co-chairs."

The committee filed a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on Jan. 30, 2020.^[256] The NRSC announced the committee's leadership team on Nov. 19.^[257]

Democratic joint committees/campaign[edit]

Fundraising[edit]

Ossoff and Warnock have two joint fundraising committees. The Ossoff-Warnock Victory Fund includes the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). The Georgia Senate Victory Fund includes the Georgia Federal Elections Committee.

The Ossoff-Warnock Victory Fund filed its statement of organization Oct. 14. Treasurer Laura Matthews is deputy national finance director at the DSCC.^[258]

The Georgia Senate Victory Fund filed an initial statement of organization including the Ossoff and Warnock campaigns July 11.^[259] It filed another statement of organization Nov. 5 adding the Georgia Federal Elections Committee.^[260] Treasurer Judith Zamore was chief financial officer for Cory Booker's 2020 presidential campaign.

Voter outreach campaign[edit]

The Georgia Democratic Party, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Ossoff and Warnock campaigns announced the coordinated runoff campaign's leadership team. The coordinated campaign is focusing on voter targeting and outreach. The leadership team includes director Jonae Wartel, who ran the early vote program for Stacey Abrams' 2018 gubernatorial bid and was chief program officer for an initiative training organizers for the 2020 presidential election in battleground states.^[261]

The announcement says the coordinated campaign voter outreach and targeting program includes:

Campaign finance[edit]

Federal Election Commission reports updated through December 16, 2020, showed the following fundraising, spending, and cash-on-hand totals.

During the reporting period of Oct. 15-Dec. 16, candidates raised the following amounts:

• Ossoff: $107 million
• Warnock: $103 million
• Perdue: $68 million
• Loeffler: $64 million

Self-funding[edit]

• Loeffler loaned her campaign $23 million between Dec. 27, 2019, and Oct. 13, 2020.^[262]
• Ossoff loaned his campaign $450,000 on May 29.^[263]

Satellite spending[edit]

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.^{[264][265][266]}

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

On December 16, CBS reported the following satellite spending figures for both runoff races:^[267]

Supporting Republicans/Opposing Democrats:

• American Crossroads: $48 million
• Senate Leadership Fund: $47 million
• Peachtree PAC: $40 million
• One Nation: $15 million
• Republican National Committee: $10 million

Supporting Democrats/Opposing Republicans:

• Georgia Honor: $15 million
• The Georgia Way: $13 million
• Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: $6 million
• Fair Fight Action: $4 million
• American Bridge 21st Century: $4 million

Daily newsletter: The Runoff Report[edit]

Below, find issues of our newsletter, The Runoff Report, for daily updates on the races and the fight for Senate control.

• The Runoff Report: January 6, 2021
• The Runoff Report: January 5, 2021
• The Runoff Report: January 4, 2021
• The Runoff Report: December 30, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 29, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 28, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 23, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 22, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 21, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 18, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 17, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 16, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 15, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 14, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 11, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 10, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 9, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 8, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 7, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 4, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 3, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 2, 2020
• The Runoff Report: December 1, 2020
• The Runoff Report: November 30, 2020

Early voting analysis[edit]

Last updated Jan. 5, 2021

The following data came from GeorgiaVotes.com. Ryan Anderson works in data and marketing for the Atlanta firm bounteous. GeorgiaVotes.com is his personal project.

• 3,093,375 people had voted in Georgia's runoff elections as of Jan. 4. That included:
  • 2,074,994 early in-person votes
  • 1,018,381 mail ballots

• Runoff turnout was 22% lower than at the same point in the general election.
  • Turnout was 23% lower for in-person votes
  • Turnout was 20% lower for mail ballots

• 123,079 (4%) of those who had cast runoff ballots did not vote in the Nov. 3 general election

GeorgiaVotes.com also provides data on runoff turnout as a percentage of total general election turnout by county. We mapped it out. Hover over each county to see its turnout percentage relative to the general election.

Georgia Pivot County analysis[edit]

Georgia has five Pivot Counties—those that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012, then Donald Trump (R) in 2016: Baker, Dooly, Peach, Quitman, and Twiggs. Trump won all five again in 2020, making them Retained Pivot Counties.

Three Metro Atlanta counties—Cobb, Gwinnett, and Henry—voted for John McCain (R) in 2008 and Mitt Romney (R) in 2012 and then for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016. We call such counties Reverse-Pivot Counties. These three counties in Georgia represent half of the six Reverse-Pivot Counties nationwide.

In Georgia's Senate runoffs, Republican candidates won all Retained Pivot Counties, and Democratic candidates won all Reverse-Pivot Counties. Below, we focus on differences in the number of votes between November and January in each county.

The middle two columns show vote totals from the runoff election. The differences between runoff votes and general election votes are in parentheses. For example, Ossoff received 630 votes in Baker County in the runoff. That was 18 fewer votes than he received in the county in November.

The column on the right shows the difference between votes lost per county. Colors show which party lost fewer votes. For example, in Baker County, Ossoff lost 46 fewer votes than Perdue.

General election analysis[edit]

Retained Pivot Counties[edit]

See also: Election results, 2020: Retained Pivot Counties

Obama's average margin of victory across Georgia's Retained Pivot Counties in 2008 was 5.3 percentage points. In 2020, Trump's average margin of victory was 8.7 points.

The five counties favored Republican Senate candidates in 2016 and 2020. Sen. Isakson's (R) average margin of victory in these counties in 2016 was 13.1 percentage points, higher than Trump's average margin of 5.2 percentage points that year. In 2020, the counties favored Perdue by an average margin of 9.7 percentage points. In the special election—which had 20 candidates, including six Republicans and eight Democrats—the counties favored Republicans by an average 8.8 percentage points.

Reverse-Pivot Counties[edit]

See also: Election results, 2020: Reverse-Pivot Counties

Since 2008, the presidential margins of victory in Georgia's three Reverse-Pivot Counties have swung 26.7 percentage points from Republicans to Democrats. In 2008, they voted for the Republican candidate, McCain, by an average margin of 9.0 percentage points. In 2020, they supported the Democratic candidate, Biden, by an average margin of 17.7 percentage points.

All three of Georgia's Reverse-Pivot Counties backed Sen. Isakson's (R) re-election bid in 2016 by an average margin of 5.6 percentage points while favoring Clinton (D) for president. The counties then backed Democrats in the Nov. 3, 2020, Senate elections—by an average margin of 15.5 percentage points in the regular election and 16.6 points in the special.

Election and partisan history in Georgia[edit]

Past elections[edit]

2020[edit]

Nov. 3 Regular election[edit]

General election for U.S. Senate Georgia

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Perdue (R)	49.7	2,462,617
✔		Jon Ossoff (D)	47.9	2,374,519
		Shane Hazel (L)	2.3	115,039

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,952,175
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Elbert Bartell (Independent)
• Darrell McGuire (Independent)
• Clifton Kilby (Independent)

Nov. 3 Special election[edit]

See also: United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 (Loeffler vs. Warnock runoff)

Special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia

The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Raphael Warnock (D)	32.9	1,617,035
✔		Kelly Loeffler (R)	25.9	1,273,214
		Doug Collins (R)	20.0	980,454
		Deborah Jackson (D)	6.6	324,118
		Matt Lieberman (D)	2.8	136,021
		Tamara Johnson-Shealey (D)	2.2	106,767
		Jamesia James (D)	1.9	94,406
		Derrick Grayson (R)	1.0	51,592
		Joy Felicia Slade (D)	0.9	44,945
		Annette Davis Jackson (R)	0.9	44,335
		Kandiss Taylor (R)	0.8	40,349
		A. Wayne Johnson (R)	0.7	36,176
		Brian Slowinski (L)	0.7	35,431
		Richard Dien Winfield (D)	0.6	28,687
		Ed Tarver (D)	0.5	26,333
		Allen Buckley (Independent)	0.4	17,954
		John Fortuin (G)	0.3	15,293
		Elbert Bartell (Independent)	0.3	14,640
		Valencia Stovall (Independent)	0.3	13,318
		Michael Todd Greene (Independent)	0.3	13,293
		Rod Mack (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	7

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 4,914,368
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ervan Katari Miller (R)

2016[edit]

U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Johnny Isakson Incumbent	54.8%	2,135,806
	Democratic	Jim Barksdale	41%	1,599,726
	Libertarian	Allen Buckley	4.2%	162,260
Total Votes				3,897,792
Source: Georgia Secretary of State

2014[edit]

U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	David Perdue	52.89%	1,358,088
	Democratic	Michelle Nunn	45.21%	1,160,811
	Libertarian	Amanda Swafford	1.90%	48,862
Total Votes				2,567,761
Source: Georgia Secretary of State

2010[edit]

On November 2, 2010, Johnny Isakson won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Michael "Mike" Thurmond (D), Chuck Donovan (L), Steve Davis (I), Raymond Beckworth (I) and Brian Russell Brown (I) in the general election.^[268]

U.S. Senate, Georgia General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Johnny Isakson Incumbent	58.3%	1,489,904
	Democratic	Michael "Mike" Thurmond	39%	996,515
	Libertarian	Chuck Donovan	2.7%	68,750
	Independent	Steve Davis	0%	52
	Independent	Raymond Beckworth	0%	24
	Independent	Brian Russell Brown	0%	12
Total Votes				2,555,257

Senate and presidential candidate performance, Nov. 3, 2020 election[edit]

The Cook Political Report compared Senate candidates' performance to presidential candidates' performance in the Nov. 3 election.

Cook's Jessica Taylor wrote the following:

The analysis also offers a county-by-county breakdown of results for presidential and Senate candidates. Click here to read it.

Previous Senate runoffs[edit]

Georgia held runoff elections for U.S. Senate in 1992 and 2008—both presidential election years. Both years also had runoffs for the statewide office of Public Service Commissioner.

The table below shows vote margins in concurrent general elections and runoffs for the two offices, along with percentage changes in turnout and changes in vote margins between the two elections. Data for 1992 and 2008 elections come from FiveThirtyEight, and official results for 2020 and 2021 come from the Georgia Secretary of State office.^[269][270]

Runoffs for public service commissioner that did not occur alongside a U.S. Senate runoff are not included.

Concurrent Senate election history[edit]

Current as of December 2020

Georgia was the only state with elections for both of its U.S. Senate seats in 2020. It was the 56th time a state held concurrent elections for its Senate seats since 1913, when the 17th Amendment established the popular election of U.S. senators.^[271][272]

Some overall stats:

• Democrats won both seats 24 times
• Republicans won both seats 23 times
• A Democrat and Republican each won a seat 8 times (15%)
• Appointed incumbents lost the general election 5 times
• Elected incumbents lost the general election 7 times
• Seats changed party hands in 20 of the 110 elections (18%)—there were 14 Republican gains and 6 Democratic gains

The last time...

• The last time Georgia held concurrent Senate elections was 1932.
• The last time a Senate seat changed party hands in concurrent elections was 1994, when Republicans won both Democratic-held seats in Tennessee.
• That was also the last time an incumbent lost a general election during concurrent Senate elections. Bill Frist (R) defeated elected Sen. Jim Sasser (D-Tenn.) in the regular election for the Class I seat. Concurrent Senate elections took place 7 times between 1994 and 2018.
• The last time a Democrat and Republican each won a seat in concurrent Senate elections was 1966, when incumbent Strom Thurmond (R) and Ernest Hollings (D) won South Carolina's Senate races. Thurmond switched his affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1964. Hollings defeated appointed incumbent Donald Russell in the Democratic primary. He then defeated Marshall Parker—who switched affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1966—in the general. Concurrent Senate elections took place 11 times between 1966 and 2018.

Note: We didn't include Mississippi's 2018 Senate elections in the counts above, as the special election proceeded to a runoff and was not decided on the same day as the regular election. Republicans retained both seats in those elections.

See this article by Geoffrey Skelley at Sabato's Crystal Ball and this article by Dr. Eric Ostermeier for more information.

Georgia partisan history[edit]

Democrats won most state legislative elections and top statewide elections in Georgia throughout the 1900s:

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the state legislature from 1871 until 2003.^[273]
• Between 1872 and 2003, all Georgia's governors were Democrats (including one Democrat-Whig).^[274]
• Between 1855 and 2003, all but three of Georgia's U.S. senators were Democrats.
• Democratic presidential candidates won 19 of 26 presidential elections in Georgia from 1900 to 2000.

Republicans won most state legislative elections and top statewide elections in Georgia throughout the 2000s:

• Republicans have controlled the state Senate since 2003 and the state House since 2005.
• Georgia has elected Republican governors since 2004. Since Republicans have held both chambers of the legislature and the governorship, they have held trifecta status in the state since 2005.
• Republicans also have triplex status—controlling the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Republicans have held this status since 2011.
• The state has had only Republican U.S. senators since 2005.
• Republicans won the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016 in Georgia.

2018-2020:

The competitive Senate races of 2020 were two of a few examples demonstrating that, at least at the statewide level, Georgia elections had become competitive between the two parties.

• Joe Biden's win in 2020 marked the first time a Democratic presidential candidate won the state since 1992. He received 49.5% of the vote to Trump's 49.3%.
• In the 2018 gubernatorial election, Brian Kemp (R) defeated Stacey Abrams (D) 50.2% to 48.8%.
• In the 2018 secretary of state runoff election, Brad Raffensperger (R) defeated John Barrow (D) 52% to 48%.
• In the 2018 attorney general election, Chris Carr (R) defeated Charlie Bailey (D) 51% to 49%.

Footnotes[edit]

v • e 2019-2020 Elections to the United States Congress Senate by State Alabama • Alaska • Arizona (special) • Arkansas • Colorado • Delaware • Georgia (special) • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Montana • Nebraska • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • North Carolina • Oklahoma • Oregon • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Virginia • West Virginia • Wyoming House by State Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming Election information Ballot access for major and minor party candidates • List of candidates running for election • List of congressional challengers • Congressional incumbents not running for re-election Super PACs/Organizations American Bridge 21st Century • American Crossroads • American Unity PAC • Campaign for Primary Accountability • Club for Growth Action • Congressional Leadership Fund • Cooperative of American Physicians IE Committee• Crossroads Generation • Ending Spending Action Fund • Endorse Liberty • Fair Share Action • FreedomWorks for America • Government Integrity Fund • House Majority PAC • Independence USA Fund • League of Conservation Voters • Liberty for All PAC • Majority PAC • National Association of Realtors • NEA Advocacy Fund • Now or Never PAC • Planned Parenthood Votes • Ready for Hillary • Republicans for a Prosperous America • Restore America's Voice PAC • SEIU Pea-Federal • Women Vote! • Workers' Voice