Georgia On My Mind

Warnock wins

Well, Georgia. You delivered Raphael Warnock to the United States Senate once again. 

This is a big win, for Warnock of course, but also for the balance of power in the Senate and for what it says about the state of politics in America. 

The narrative from November continues — an overperformance by Democrats, especially considering the now-dated conventional wisdom that once swirled around a presumptive “red wave.” We can see it was more of a purple ripple. 

While Democrats lost control of the House, they have now expanded their majority in the Senate. This has profound implications for how committees are run and how the Senate works more generally. 

Warnock’s win over Herschel Walker in this runoff election has more storylines than a season of “Game of Thrones.” But a major one is that this represents another stark data point that the former president who pushed the Walker candidacy is a loser who drags down Republican electoral chances. And yet, the party can’t quit him. At least not yet. Will another stinging loss change the dynamic? If the past is prologue, it’s not likely.

For those who covered Georgia in a far different time, the results tonight are striking. This state has changed rapidly. It’s certainly not a blue state, but Warnock’s victory proves Biden’s win in 2020 was not a fluke. It also shows that candidate quality matters, which is a relief for all who want our nation to be led by people of character. Nevertheless, the fact that it was this close with a candidate of Walker’s nature should give Democrats pause. 

There will be more to analyze about what these results mean, but for now we felt inclined to share a performance by Ray Charles singing a song apt for the evening: It’s “Georgia on My Mind.”

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