25 Democratic senators endorse Atlanta reverend in Georgia Senate race
Twenty-five Democratic senators lent their muscle to the race for one of the two open Senate seats in Georgia by endorsing Reverend Raphael Warnock, who is widely seen as the Democrats' best chance in the special November election to flip the seat. The seat was vacated by Johnny Isakson at the end of 2019 and is currently held by controversial Trump ally Senator Kelly Loeffler.
The majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus endorsed Warnock, and the senators themselves range in ideology from more moderate to progressive and are from both Democratic- and Republican-heavy states — as well as some battleground states. Warnock had already received the endorsement from five Democratic senators who ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary: Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker and Michael Bennet.
"I'm beyond grateful for the support of so many leaders in this movement, who I hope to call colleagues very soon." Warnock said in a statement first obtained by CBS News. "They have stood on the side of working people across this country, and I look forward to joining them in the struggle for the soul of our nation and against the injustice and corruption in Washington.
Warnock has served as the senior pastor at the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the former pulpit of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, for 14 years.
Warnock is not only facing Loeffler in November but also Republican Congressman Doug Collins, who is leading recent polls.
In one of the most competitive races in the country, Warnock has received the endorsements of organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Brady PAC and NARAL Pro-Choice America. He has also scored the endorsement of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.
A recent FiveThirtyEight poll shows Warnock up 3 points against Loeffler, and trailing Collins by 2 points.
The Georgia special Senate election will be held on Election Day, on November 3, 2020. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote the top two finishers will compete in a runoff election in early January 2021.
Democrats are seeing a tremendous potential in Georgia. In addition to Loeffler's seat, Republican Senator David Perdue is up for reelection. His opponent, Democrat Jon Ossoff, who won more than 50% of the vote in the June 9 primary, said he had raised $3.45 million between April and June, including $2.35 million since winning the primary.
And the presidential election is close in Georgia, too. A CBS News Battleground Tracker published Sunday currently calls the race a toss-up, with 50% supporting Joe Biden and 48% supporting President Trump. The president's campaign is showing signs of its concern in the state with its ad spending. According to the firm Advertising Analytics, Mr. Trump's campaign spent over $1.3 million in commercials just last week. By contrast, the same firm reported the president spending just over $150,000 in Michigan.