GOP’s Perdue concedes race to Ossoff in Ga. Senate runoff
ATLANTA — Democratic control of the U.S. Senate came one step closer to fruition Friday after Georgia Republican David Perdue conceded his runoff loss to Democrat Jon Ossoff.
A day earlier, the GOP’s Kelly Loeffler conceded to Democrat Raphael Warnock in Georgia’s other Senate race.
Mr. Perdue thanked supporters in a statement before acknowledging his loss in Tuesday’s election, saying “I want to congratulate the Democratic Party and my opponent for this runoff win.”
After their contentious race marked by sharp personal attacks, Mr. Perdue’s statement did not mention Mr. Ossoff by name.
A spokesperson for Mr. Ossoff’s campaign said the Democrat had not received a call from Mr. Perdue and that they learned about his concession from media reports.
The victory means Mr. Ossoff, 33, will be the youngest sitting member of the U.S. Senate and the state’s first Jewish senator.
Mr. Perdue, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was first elected to the Senate in 2014. He led Mr.
Ossoff by about 88,000 votes in November’s general election but failed to top the 50% required to avoid the runoff.
When Georgia’s two Senate contests went into overtime, Mr. Ossoff was buoyed by the national implications of the race as well as Mr. Trump’s continued
false attacks on the election results.
The wins by Mr. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock mark a striking shift in Georgia’s political landscape, which has been dominated by Republicans for years. President-elect Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to
carry the state since 1992 after his victory in November.
Mr. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock will be officially sworn in after the results of the election are certified. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has until Jan. 22to certify results, though it couldbe done earlier.