The Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, mentioned Wednesday that his Senate victory over the Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler was the results of a decade of labor registering lots of of 1000’s of Georgians to vote.
“Welcome to the brand new Georgia,” he advised NPR on Wednesday morning. “It’s extra numerous, and it’s extra inclusive, and it readily embraces the longer term. And I’m a product of that.”
Mr. Warnock, 51, will turn into the primary Black senator in Georgia historical past, and the primary Black Democrat to be elected to the Senate within the South.
“Georgia definitely made me proud final evening,” he mentioned. “They determined to ship a child who grew up in public housing to the US Senate to signify the considerations of unusual folks.”
Shortly earlier than his victory was finalized early on Wednesday, Mr. Warnock, the pastor on the storied Ebenezer Baptist Church, had marveled at his expertise in comparison with that of his mom, who labored in cotton fields as a teen.
“The opposite day, as a result of that is America, the 82-year-old arms that used to choose any individual else’s cotton went to the polls and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator,” he mentioned.
Within the NPR interview, Mr. Warnock dismissed the try by President Trump and a few Republicans to attempt to problem the president’s loss in Georgia in November when Congress certifies the Electoral School outcomes on Wednesday. The trouble is predicted to fail.
“We counted these votes thrice,” Mr. Warnock mentioned, referring to Georgia’s recount within the fall. “It’s clear, once you have a look at the swing states all throughout our nation, Joe Biden is the president-elect. Sadly, there are enablers of this nonsense in the US Senate. And that’s why the individuals who I’m operating into all throughout Georgia are annoyed with politics.”
Mr. Warnock mentioned that after within the Senate, he would assist a $2,000 stimulus cost to assist individuals who qualify endure the coronavirus pandemic. “People waited for months with out getting any reduction in any respect,” he mentioned.
And he mentioned he would concentrate on shrinking “well-connected company pursuits in our politics.”
“If the folks can get their democracy again, we are able to get the reform that we’d like round problems with environmental justice, round well being care — round a complete vary of considerations,” he mentioned.