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The closely-watched contention for the U.S. Senate successful Georgia betwixt Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker volition caput to a runoff election, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Wednesday afternoon.
"Ballots are being built arsenic we speak, and counties are making preparations," Raffensperger told reporters.
There is simply a third-party campaigner successful the race, and neither Warnock nor Walker was projected by CBS News to wide the 50% threshold of votes needed to state victory, mounting up different showdown betwixt the 2 astatine the ballot container connected Dec. 6.
Warnock tweeted Wednesday, "We're going to a runoff, Georgia! Let's bash this 1 much time!"
As is the lawsuit successful galore states successful the 2022 midterms, the system has been the apical contented for voters successful Georgia, according to a caller canvass by the University of Georgia.
According to aboriginal exit polls, voters successful Georgia voters were divided arsenic acold arsenic the astir important qualities successful a candidate: 36% accidental they're looking for a campaigner who shares their values, portion 32% said a candidate's honesty and integrity are astir important to them.
In October, Walker's run was rocked by allegations that helium paid for astatine slightest 1 pistillate to person an abortion. Walker has denied the allegations, and nationalist Republicans person stuck by him.
Georgia was 1 of the closest races successful the 2020 election, with President Joe Biden winning the authorities by astir 10,000 votes. Both of its Senate races went to runoff elections that year, with Warnock defeating Republican Kelly Loeffler. In the different race, Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated David Perdue, who had been starring going into the runoff.
This year's contention is different important 1 for some parties arsenic they vie for control of the Senate.
Early voting shattered records, with much than 2.5 Georgia residents voting up of Election Day, according to the caput of state's office.
Eran Ben-Porath and Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.
Georgia predetermination official: "Safe to say" determination volition beryllium a runoff
Gabriel Sterling, the main operating serviceman for the Georgia Secretary of State's office, tweeted aboriginal Wednesday that it's "safe to say" the predetermination successful Georgia volition caput to a runoff adjacent month. The authorities has not yet made an authoritative announcement astir whether a runoff volition beryllium necessary.
"While region officials are inactive doing the elaborate enactment connected counting the votes, we consciousness it is harmless to accidental determination volition beryllium a runoff for the US Senate present successful Georgia slated for December 6," helium tweeted.
While region officials are inactive doing the elaborate enactment connected counting the votes, we consciousness it is harmless to accidental determination volition beryllium a runoff for the US Senate present successful Georgia slated for December 6. #gapol pic.twitter.com/uwMF2EoDzO
— Gabriel Sterling (@GabrielSterling) November 9, 2022The race
Warnock was elected successful a peculiar predetermination successful 2020 against incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed aft Sen. Johnny Isakson stepped down owed to wellness problems successful 2019. Warnock had led the 21-person "jungle" (multi-party) peculiar election, but lone captured 32% of the vote, truthful helium and Loeffler, the second-highest vote-getter, went into a January runoff. Warnock yet prevailed, becoming the archetypal Black legislator from Georgia.
The January runoff predetermination was held connected Jan. 5, 2021, 1 time earlier erstwhile President Donald Trump's supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. Just a fewer days up of the runoff, connected Jan. 2, 2021, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and asked him to "find" much than 11,000 votes to enactment him implicit the apical successful the state.
Now Warnock faces Walker, a Heisman Trophy victor who was a moving backmost for University of Georgia. Walker is the uncommon Republican who successful the primaries had the enactment of not lone of Trump, but besides Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Democrats person been invested heavy successful the race, and erstwhile President Barack Obama traveled to Georgia successful the last sprint, calling Walker "a personage that wants to beryllium a politician."
Walker announced his tally for the Georgia Senate contention August 2021, saying he "can't beryllium connected the sidelines anymore." This is his archetypal candidacy, and helium often invokes his Washington outsider presumption connected the run trail.
His campaign was rocked past period by a Daily Beast study that successful 2009, Walker, who has vocally opposed termination rights, allegedly paid for an termination for a pistillate he'd been seeing. CBS News has not independently confirmed this payment. The Daily Beast said the unidentified pistillate supported her assertion with a $575 receipt from an termination session and a signed $700 idiosyncratic cheque from Walker to screen expenses. She told The Daily Beast she came guardant due to the fact that of Walker's stance connected abortion, saying "I conscionable cant with the hypocrisy anymore. We each merit better."
On Oct. 5, The Daily Beast reported that she besides said she aboriginal gave commencement to a kid by Walker. He besides denied that report. The pistillate told The New York Times that erstwhile she became large again 2 years later, Walker again asked her to extremity the pregnancy. This time, she refused, she and Walker ended their relationship, and she gave commencement to a son, who is present 10 years old.
"He has to beryllium held responsible, conscionable similar the remainder of us. And if you're going to tally for office, you request to ain your life," the pistillate told The Times.
In precocious October, different pistillate came forward, claiming that Walker had paid for her to person an termination successful the aboriginal 1990s. Walker besides denies this accusation. The woman, known arsenic Jane Doe to conceal her identity, said Walker drove her to an termination session successful the outpouring of 1993 aft helium learned she was pregnant.
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