Warnock Win Gives Democrats Full Control of the Senate
Published December 21, 2022
Federal Policy OME Advocate Washington Insider
- On December 6, 2022, Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a close runoff election. The runoff, the second in two years, was needed because neither candidate met Georgia’s required 50 percent threshold in the general election.
- Warnock’s victory gives Democrats a 51-49 majority in the Senate, a net gain of one seat in the 2022 elections. Democrats will now have sole control of the chamber, chairing committees and more easily setting agendas and approving nominees.
- After the conclusion of the runoff election, the Georgia Secretary of State asked the state legislature to take steps to eliminate the need for future general election runoffs, citing expense and voter exhaustion.
- Adding another layer to the Senate election outcome, former Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona switched party registration to Independent soon after the runoff. She will continue to caucus with the Democratic party so her new party affiliation will not impact Democrat control or her committee assignments.