Raphael Warnock
Raphael Warnock (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. Senate to represent Georgia. He was on the ballot in the special general election on November 3, 2020.
Due to nationwide changes in election administration in 2020, Ballotpedia is exercising increased caution before projecting elections winners. Click here to read our new election calling policy and vote total update schedule.
Contents
Elections
2020
See also: United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020
Special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia
The following candidates are running in the special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia on November 3, 2020.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
|
|
Kelly Loeffler (R) |
26.5
|
1,220,802 | |
|
|
Deborah Jackson (D) |
6.5
|
300,817 | |
|
|
Jamesia James (D) |
1.9
|
87,009 | |
|
|
Tamara Johnson-Shealey (D) |
2.2
|
99,122 | |
|
|
Matt Lieberman (D) |
2.8
|
127,056 | |
|
|
Joy Felicia Slade (D) |
0.9
|
42,675 | |
|
|
Ed Tarver (D) |
0.5
|
24,499 | |
|
|
Raphael Warnock (D) |
31.7
|
1,459,743 | |
|
|
Richard Dien Winfield (D) |
0.6
|
26,423 | |
|
|
Doug Collins (R) |
20.5
|
943,564 | |
|
|
Derrick Grayson (R) |
1.1
|
49,480 | |
|
|
Annette Davis Jackson (R) |
0.9
|
42,084 | |
|
|
A. Wayne Johnson (R) |
0.8
|
35,016 | |
|
|
Kandiss Taylor (R) |
0.8
|
38,964 | |
|
|
John Fortuin (G) |
0.3
|
13,714 | |
|
|
Brian Slowinski (L) |
0.7
|
33,064 | |
|
|
Elbert Bartell (Independent) |
0.3
|
13,449 | |
|
|
Allen Buckley (Independent) |
0.4
|
16,496 | |
|
|
Michael Todd Greene (Independent) |
0.3
|
12,485 | |
|
|
Valencia Stovall (Independent) |
0.3
|
12,131 | |
|
|
Rod Mack (Independent) (Write-in) |
|
0 | |
|
Vote totals may be incomplete for this race. |
||||
|
|
Total votes: 4,598,593 | |||
Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!
2020 battleground election
Twenty-one candidates were on the special election ballot for U.S. Senate in Georgia on November 3, 2020. Eight Democrats, six Republicans, five independents, one Green Party candidate, and one Libertarian ran. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote on November 3, a runoff between the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will take place January 5, 2021.
The election filled the remaining two years of the six-year term that Johnny Isakson (R) was elected to in 2016.[1] Isakson resigned at the end of 2019, citing his health.[2] Gov. Brian Kemp (R) appointed Kelly Loeffler (R) to the seat, and she was sworn in on January 6, 2020.[3] Loeffler ran in the election.
Loeffler, Matt Lieberman (D), Raphael Warnock (D), and Doug Collins (R) led in polls and campaign finance. Intelligencer's Ed Kilgore wrote in July that Loeffler "faces fierce competition for Republican voters from congressman Doug Collins. Democratic leaders are mostly backing Ebenezer Baptist Church pastor Raphael Warnock, but early polls have shown Matt Lieberman (son of Joe) with significant support, probably because of name ID. The odds of anyone winning a majority in November are low."[4] Through mid-October, polls showed Warnock, Loeffler, and Collins leading and Lieberman in fourth.
According to Kyle Wingfield, CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, there had been 29 special elections with candidates of different affiliations in Georgia between the end of the 2012 general election and February 2020. Twenty-four of those special elections were won by the same party that held the seat heading into the election.[5]
Loeffler's appointed term ends when the special election winner assumes office in January 2021. The regularly scheduled election for a full term occurs in November 2022.
Donald Trump (R) won Georgia in the 2016 presidential race, defeating Hillary Clinton (D) 51% to 46%. In the 2016 race for U.S. Senate, Isakson defeated Jim Barksdale (D) 55% to 41%. Sen. David Perdue (R) defeated Michelle Nunn (D) 53% to 45% in 2014. In Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial election, Kemp defeated Stacey Abrams (D) 50% to 49%.
Richard Dien Winfield (D) and Valencia Stovall (I) participated in a Candidate Conversation with Ballotpedia and EnCiv. Click here to watch. Ballotpedia is seeking 100% participation among top candidates in this race. To ask Kelly Loeffler to participate in the conversation, tweet at her campaign account or send her an email. To ask Doug Collins to participate in the conversation, tweet at his campaign account or send him an email. To ask Matt Lieberman to participate in the conversation, tweet at his campaign account or send him an email. To ask Raphael Warnock to participate in the conversation, tweet at his campaign account or send him an email.
Candidate profile
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
None
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. Warnock graduated from the Leadership Program sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Summer Leadership Institute of Harvard University, and Leadership Atlanta.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Georgia polls | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date |  Loeffler
|
 Lieberman
|
Tarver
|
Warnock
|
Collins
|
 Slowinski
|
Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor |
| Data for Progress | Oct. 27-Nov. 1 | 26% | 8% | 3% | 41% | 21% | -- | 1% | -- | ± 3.0 | 1,036 | -- |
| Public Policy Polling | Oct. 27-28 | 27% | 2% | 0% | 46% | 19% | -- | 2% | 4% | ± 3.8 | 661 | -- |
| Monmouth | Oct. 23-27 | 21% | 4% | 3% | 41% | 18% | 2% | 4% | 6% | ± 4.4 | 504 | -- |
| Civiqs | Oct. 23-26 | 22% | 2% | 1% | 48% | 23% | -- | 2% | 2% | ± 3.3 | 1,041 | Daily Kos |
| University of Georgia | Oct. 14-23 | 20% | 4% | 1% | 34% | 21% | 3% | 2% | 14% | ± 4.0 | 1,145 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution |
| Click [show] to see older poll results | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Date | Loeffler
|
Lieberman
|
Tarver
|
Warnock
|
Collins
|
Slowinski
|
Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | Sponsor | ||
| New York Times/Siena College | Oct. 13-19 | 23% | 7% | 2% | 32% | 17% | -- | -- | 18% | ± 4.1 | 759 | -- | ||
| Opinion Insight LLC | Oct. 12-15 | 19% | 3% | 1% | 31% | 18% | -- | 9% | 14% | ± 3.5 | 800 | American Action Forum | ||
| Quinnipiac | Oct. 8-12 | 20% | 5% | 2% | 41% | 22% | -- | -- | 9% | ± 3 | 1,040 | -- | ||
| Data for Progress | Oct. 8-11 | 22% | 10% | -- | 30% | 22% | -- | -- | 17% | ± 3.5 | 782 | Crooked Media/Indivisible | ||
| Public Policy Polling | Oct. 8-9 | 24% | 3% | 0% | 41% | 22% | -- | 2% | 8% | ± 4.3 | 528 | -- | ||
| Civiqs | Sept. 26-29 | 21% | 5% | 2% | 38% | 25% | -- | 1% | 7% | ± 3.5 | 969 | Daily Kos | ||
| Quinnipiac | Sept. 23-27 | 23% | 9% | 4% | 31% | 22% | -- | -- | 12% | ± 2.9 | 1,125 | -- | ||
| Redfield & Wilton Strategies | September 23-26, 2020 | 25% | 16% | -- | 26% | 16% | -- | 3%[6] | 14% | +/- 3.5 | 789 | -- | ||
| Monmouth | Sept. 17-21 | 23% | 11% | 4% | 21% | 22% | 3% | 3% | 13% | ± 4.9 | 402 | -- | ||
| New York Times/Siena College | Sept. 17-21 | 23% | 7% | 4% | 19% | 19% | -- | -- | 27% | ± 4.9 | 523 | -- | ||
| Data for Progress | Sept. 14-19 | 21% | 13% | -- | 25% | 21% | -- | -- | 20% | ± 3.5 | 800 | Crooked Media/Indivisible | ||
| Redfield & Wilton Strategies | Sept. 12-16 | 26% | 15% | -- | 21% | 19% | -- | 5%[7] | 15% | ± 3.5 | 800 | -- | ||
| SurveyUSA | Aug. 6-8 | 26% | 13% | 3% | 17% | 17% | -- | 2% | 21% | ± 5.3[8] | 623 | WXIA-TV | ||
| Monmouth | July 23-27 | 26% | 14% | 5% | 9% | 20% | 3% | 5% | 18% | ± 4.9 | 402 | -- | ||
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joy Felicia Slade | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available |
| Annette Davis Jackson | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available |
| Rod Mack | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available |
| Jamesia James | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available |
| Elbert Bartell | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available |
| Michael Todd Greene | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available |
| Kelly Loeffler | Republican Party | $28,249,317 | $22,319,207 | $5,930,109 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Raphael Warnock | Democratic Party | $21,971,506 | $16,452,660 | $5,518,846 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Doug Collins | Republican Party | $6,330,698 | $4,864,208 | $1,466,490 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Matt Lieberman | Democratic Party | $1,524,878 | $1,320,347 | $204,531 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Ed Tarver | Democratic Party | $270,535 | $261,011 | $9,525 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| A. Wayne Johnson | Republican Party | $146,275 | $122,129 | $24,146 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Richard Dien Winfield | Democratic Party | $58,208 | $43,733 | $14,476 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Tamara Johnson-Shealey | Democratic Party | $56,475 | $57,878 | $-1,403 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Kandiss Taylor | Republican Party | $27,833 | $21,833 | $780 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Allen Buckley | Independent | $23,388 | $19,400 | $3,988 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Valencia Stovall | Independent | $20,944 | $20,346 | $598 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Deborah Jackson | Democratic Party | $18,788 | $16,004 | $2,984 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Derrick Grayson | Republican Party | $18,061 | $13,202 | $6,777 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| John Fortuin | Green Party | $6,661 | $6,210 | $451 | As of October 14, 2020 |
| Brian Slowinski | Libertarian Party | $5,220 | $5,220 | $0 | As of March 31, 2020 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," .
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Self-funding
- Through September 30, 2020, Loeffler had loaned her campaign $20 million.[9]
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[10]
- Tossup ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[11][12][13]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Tilt Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Toss-up | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Endorsements
This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the election, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy endorsements. Endorsements in this race are grouped by candidates' parties. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
Links to endorsement lists from campaign websites are provided, where available, above each table.
Republican candidates
| U.S. Senate special election in Georgia, 2020: Republican candidates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Loeffler (R) | Collins (R) | ||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep./House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) | ✔ | |||||
| Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former Gov. Nathan Deal (R) | ✔ | |||||
| Former special election candidate A. Wayne Johnson (R)[14] | ✔ | |||||
| Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn | ✔ | |||||
| Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| Susan B. Anthony List | ✔ | |||||
| Senate Leadership Fund | ✔ | |||||
| National Right to Life | ✔ | |||||
| National Republican Senatorial Committee | ✔ | |||||
| Maggie’s List | ✔ | |||||
| American Conservative Union[15] | ✔ | |||||
| Republican National Hispanic Assembly | ✔ | |||||
| Latinos Conservative Organization | ✔ | |||||
| Great America PAC | ✔ | |||||
Democratic candidates
| U.S. Senate special election in Georgia, 2020: Democratic candidates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Lieberman (D) | Warnock (D) | ||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Conn.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Penn.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) | ✔ | |||||
| Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) | ✔ | |||||
| Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former President Barack Obama (D) | ✔ | |||||
| 2020 Democratic presidential nominee/former Vice President Joe Biden[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former President Jimmy Carter (D) | ✔ | |||||
| 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee | ✔ | |||||
| League of Conservation Voters Action Fund | ✔ | |||||
| Planned Parenthood Action Fund | ✔ | |||||
| NARAL | ✔ | |||||
| Democracy for America | ✔ | |||||
| End Citizens United | ✔ | |||||
| Brady PAC | ✔ | |||||
| Congressional Black Caucus PAC | ✔ | |||||
| The Collective | ✔ | |||||
| Progressive Turnout Project | ✔ | |||||
| Georgia AFL-CIO | ✔ | |||||
| Human Rights Campaign | ✔ | |||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Raphael Warnock has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?
- 872 candidates completed the survey in 2019. This number represented 10.4% of all 8,386 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2019. Out of the 872 respondents, 237 won their election. Candidates from 33 states completed the survey. Noteworthy respondents included Nashville Mayor John Cooper and Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann. Read the 2019 report for more information about that year's respondents.
- 1,957 candidates completed the survey in 2018. This number represented 6.9% of all 28,315 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2018. Out of the 1,957 respondents, 477 won their election. Candidates from 48 states completed the survey. Noteworthy respondents included U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Read the 2018 report for more information about that year's respondents.
Campaign website
Warnock's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Health Care Reverend Warnock’s belief in affordable health care comes from his understanding of the dignity of human beings and his confidence that courageous, principled leaders can stand up to special interests and make our health care system work better for all. That’s why he’s rejecting corporate PAC money, because he knows that for too long the insurance and pharmaceutical companies have had their say in Washington. In fact, Reverend Warnock is such a fierce health care advocate, he’s proud of his legacy protesting in Governor Nathan Deal’s office for Medicaid expansion, and in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol fighting back against an immoral budget that would have cut funding for children’s health care. Click here to learn more about Rev. Warnock’s fight for Medicaid Expansion and pushing back against proposed cuts to children’s health care programs. Even before the coronavirus, our state’s health care system was in a crisis compounded by the failure of Georgia’s leaders to expand Medicaid. Today, 518,000 Georgians would be eligible for health care if our leaders took action. But instead, Georgians continue to pay taxes to give people in other states access to health care while we go without and rural hospitals across the state continue to close due to lack of support. The pandemic has laid bare the glaring inequality of our health care system like never before. As coronavirus cases skyrocket, the inadequacy of our health care system has become painfully clear, while the gaps between rich and poor, black and white, rural and urban, grow wider every day. As a U.S. Senator, Rev. Warnock will continue to fight with that same conviction and courage to:
Right now, our state’s elected leaders are trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act and take away health care protections for millions of Georgians — while we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Reverend Warnock is committed to fighting back against efforts to dismantle the law’s protections for the more than 1.8 million Georgians with pre-existing conditions and provisions allowing anyone under the age of 26 to remain on their parent’s insurance. Reverend Warnock also understands that affordable health care is a moral imperative. As an advocate and pastor, Warnock has spent years fighting for the fundamental right to health care. That’s why Reverend Warnock is committed to expanding affordable access to health care in any way possible, including through a public option and early Medicare buy-in. But Reverend Warnock also understands how personal decisions of health care can be, which is why he will never support efforts that take private insurance from those that want to keep it. He has been a tireless advocate for Medicaid expansion, which is key to keeping rural hospitals open, making health care accessible and affordable to those who need it the most, and improving treatment for victims of addiction. With Georgians exposed to the skyrocketing costs of critical prescription drugs like insulin, Reverend Warnock believes solutions, like allowing the federal government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies on the prices seniors are charged for life-saving medication, will ease this moral crisis. He understands that too often Georgians are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs or putting food on the table, and he believes the system that makes such a choice necessary is unconscionable and immoral. Voting Rights After the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, our state became ground zero for voter suppression. With partisan gerrymandering, long lines in minority communities, polling place closures, and voter purges, the state of Georgia has followed every strategy in the voter suppression playbook. Whether through vote-by-mail or in-person voting, all Georgia voters must have the opportunity to use their voice at the ballot box. And with the United States Postal Service now under siege, the right to vote is at risk for millions of Georgians. But in the spirit of his mentor and parishioner, the late Congressman John Lewis, Reverend Warnock understands that our vote is our voice, and that the ability to use our voice is a matter of human dignity. He believes that the best way to honor John Lewis’ legacy is not to simply offer pious platitudes, but to get busy restoring the Voting Rights Act that was gutted by the Supreme Court. And in the middle of a global pandemic, it also means giving states the resources they need to protect access to the vote for all. Our elections must be fair, open, and safe for every eligible citizen, and Americans should never have to choose between their life and their vote. Voting rights have been central to Reverend Warnock’s advocacy work for decades. In the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina and only six months into his role as Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor, Reverend Warnock helped organize Freedom Caravans that drove from Atlanta to New Orleans to help Louisiana voters access the polls and exercise their right to participate in municipal elections. In his ministry, Reverend Warnock and Ebenezer Baptist Church have participated for years in ‘Souls to the Polls’ to encourage voter mobilization in the Black community. And he has helped register hundreds of thousands of voters as the former Chair of the New Georgia Project. That’s why he is proud to have earned the endorsement of Fair Fight Action and the Voter Protection Project. In the Senate, Reverend Warnock pledges to fight to ensure that every eligible voter can participate in our democracy under the American promise of “one person, one vote”, by:
Reproductive Rights Reverend Warnock has been an advocate for women’s health and reproductive justice his entire life and is proud to have been endorsed by NARAL and Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Since his time as a teen peer counselor in high school and his work with the Georgia Department of Health during college, Warnock has fought to increase safe and affordable access to contraceptives and achieve reproductive justice for women and families. While working with the State, he also helped author a statewide curriculum for uniform training for Georgia’s teen peer counselors. As Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, he has carried that work forward by centering choice and justice in his ministry. With Washington politicians still working to overturn Roe v. Wade and repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would allow insurance companies to treat pregnancy as a pre-existing condition, Reverend Warnock recognizes that women’s health care is under attack like never before. As a Senator, he will stand up for reproductive justice and a woman’s right to choose. Warnock believes in a woman’s right to choose and that it is a decision between her and her doctor – not the government. He knows the importance of family planning and contraceptive access to achieving fair and equal economic outcomes. That’s why in the U.S. Senate, he will
Criminal Justice Reform Reverend Warnock believes that in the Land of the Free, it is a scandal and a scar on the soul of America to imprison more people at a higher rate than any other country in the world. With our country containing only 5 percent of the world’s population while warehousing nearly 25 percent of the world’s prisoners, real and immediate change is needed. The prison population of America is fed by a system that criminalizes poverty, imperils the bodies of its most vulnerable citizens, and incarcerates people of color at disproportionate levels. Reverend Warnock sees this issue as a spiritual problem, with the soul of America itself endangered by mass incarceration. Only by living up to the twin American promises of liberty for all and equal protection under the law can our nation begin to heal. Reverend Warnock also believes that it is morally wrong and economically backward to close the doors of social re-entry on the formerly incarcerated. That’s why he has worked with Fulton County officials to expunge arrest records for those arrested but not convicted of a crime. He understands that arrests, even for minor infractions, can devastate generations of Georgians when parents and children are stripped of their potential for upward social mobility. Reverend Warnock believes that people who have paid their debt to society in prison can continue to make contributions to their communities after they have served their time. In his ministry, Reverend Warnock has spoken about the dangers of mandatory minimums, the lack of effective rehabilitative programs, and the thousands of Georgians who are in jail, not because they have been convicted of a crime or are a danger to society, but because they can’t afford bail. And as someone whose own family has faced the pain of seeing a loved one incarcerated, Reverend Warnock understands that behind each statistic is a family broken by a failed justice system. As a Senator, he will fight to move the nation toward justice and away from the harmful, ineffective, and costly policies that have devastated so many Georgia families. Reverend Warnock also believes we need to responsibly fund the police while reimagining the relationship between police departments and the communities that they serve. In order to ensure accountability and build trust, he understands that we need to invest resources into the training of police officers and into building genuine bonds of community rather than sowing the seeds of distrust. For this relationship, it’s equally critical for communities to trust that the justice system is designed to support them, which is why Reverend Warnock also supports appointing independent prosecutors to handle police-involved shootings. Through his work at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Reverend Warnock has advocated for criminal justice reform measures that make sense for Georgia. And in the wake of nation-wide protests in response to police brutality, Reverend Warnock has joined the chorus of leaders pushing for accountability and equal protection under the law. It was with that same spirit in 2019 that Reverend Warnock hosted a multifaith, multicultural initiative to end mass incarceration, galvanizing faith leaders on issues like bail reform and hosting a mass record expungement event. In the Senate, Warnock will work to:
Jobs and the Economy Reverend Warnock knows the global pandemic has fundamentally impacted the daily lives and economic security of Georgians and that in many cases the pain is being felt most by families who were already struggling to get by. With tens of millions of Americans having lost work or totally unemployed, it’s clear our leaders have failed not only in their response to the health impacts of the virus, but also in answering its financial toll. In Georgia, we’ve experienced failed leadership from our state department of labor’s delayed payments to citizens for weeks, while nationally leaders have fallen down on the job getting support to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and keeping needed programs for everyday families in place. Reverend Warnock is committed to putting politics aside and listening to the experts making sure we’re containing the virus and standing up for struggling families that have been treated as political pawns throughout this crisis. While Reverend Warnock has felt Georgian’s pains from the pandemic, his perspective on economic fairness and the dignity of work is rooted in his upbringing. Growing up in Savannah’s Kayton Homes public housing, Reverend Warnock had eleven brothers and sisters and learned the value of hard work from his mother, who spent summers picking tobacco and cotton, and his father, who sold junk cars before standing up on Sunday mornings and preaching to poor, ordinary working-class people who themselves felt discarded. That upbringing shaped his understanding of work, the need for good paying jobs, and the importance of fair wages for all Americans. But Reverend Warnock recognizes that things have gotten harder for families like his, and for many in Georgia, historic unemployment and a global pandemic mean the American dream has never felt more out of reach. From Columbus to Cuthbert, Atlanta to Lavonia, workers are being laid off from jobs they’ve held for years and new employees are entering a workforce that no longer has a place for them. And even when the economy is expanding, its benefits are not being shared equally. For the employed, gender pay gaps and unfair labor practices show that our economy is designed for the wealthiest one percent, not the working class. And in rural communities, an exodus of jobs and employers has left our state vulnerable to economic shocks and exploitation. Reverend Warnock believes that we need to rebuild an economy that works for everyone. He understands that we need to protect the dignity of work and fight for fair wages and equitable employment practices in the workplace. He knows that instead of continuing to disinvest in public education and assistance, we need to focus on investing in our children’s education and offer multiple paths for folks to attain the American dream, including:
Fighting for workers also means he will oppose Washington tax breaks that benefit the richest of the rich while leaving behind the poor and working families that need help the most. LGBTQ+ Reverend Warnock is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community. As a civil rights advocate, he firmly believes that there’s no such thing “as equal rights for some.” Reverend Warnock believes that our nation’s commitment to equality is sacred and inviolable. That belief has led him to routinely advocate from the pulpit on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community, to mourn in moments of tragedy, such as after the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and to celebrate in times of triumph, as after the Supreme Court’s recognition of marriage equality. As the Pastor of “America’s Freedom Church,” he also believes that the church should be the first institution to defend vulnerable communities. As a Senator, he will fight for and support the Equality Act to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community from housing, financial, and employment discrimination; advocate for gender inclusive policies and resources to help at-risk LGBTQ+ youth who face higher risks of homelessness and other challenges; and push to ban discriminatory federal practices that stop trans people from serving in our armed forces. Warnock would also fight to ensure that there is fairness and equality in health care, working to expand access to medications like PrEP and other life saving care for all communities.[17] |
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| —Raphael Warnock's campaign website (2020)[18] | ||
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See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Georgia Will Now Have Two Senate Elections In 2020," August 29, 2019
- ↑ Roll Call, "Sen. Johnny Isakson to resign at the end of 2019," August 28, 2019
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) names Kelly Loeffler to fill Senate seat in move that could set up clash with Trump," December 4, 2019
- ↑ New York Magazine's Intelligencer, "Control of the U.S. Senate May Not Be Decided Until January in Georgia," July 14, 2020
- ↑ The Brunswick News, "Special election puts focus on so-called jungle primary," February 10, 2020
- ↑ 2% said "Other Democratic candidate," and 1% said "Other (third-party or write-in)."
- ↑ 3% said "Other Democratic candidate," 1% said "Other Republican candidate," and 1% said "Other (third-party or write-in)."
- ↑ This poll has a credibility interval as opposed to a margin of error. Read more here.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Loeffler, Kelly - Financial Summary," accessed October 20, 2020
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Republican abandons longshot challenge to Loeffler in Georgia," October 1, 2020
- ↑ The American Conservative Union, "ACU Endorses Doug Collins," accessed September 9, 2020
- ↑ Cherokee Tribune & Ledger News, "Biden gives endorsements in Georgia's U.S. Senate races," October 26, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Raphael Warnock's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 7, 2020
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