Georgia Runoff Elections: Crucial for Biden Presidency

In Georgia, a candidate must receive at least 50% of the total vote to win. If no candidate reaches this mark, then the top two face off again in a runoff election. This runoff law, originally introduced by politician Denmark Groover, came to fruition in the 1960s to preserve white political power in a majority-white state and diminish Black politicians' influence.

The stakes are high. With the Republicans prevailing in the Alaska and North Carolina Senate races, the Republican and Democratic parties are currently in control of 50 and 48 seats, respectively. Both of the remaining senate seats are up for election. Sen. David Perdue is facing Jon Ossoff in a normal re-election race for the seat Perdue won in 2014. While Senate elections are usually staggered, Sen. Kelly Loeffler faces a special election against Rev. Raphael Warnock to determine if she will serve the remainder of Sen. Johnny Isakson's term (Isakson retired due to health issues). Neither Sen. Loeffler nor Incumbent Perdue met the 50% benchmark during the original election.

From Left to Right: Rev. Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff, Sen. David Perdue, and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (Courtesy of CNN)

If the Republican party wins at least one of the two races, they will maintain their majority, significantly limiting the Biden administration's ability. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican who would be in charge of the Senate, stated, "If I'm still the majority leader in the Senate, think of me as the Grim Reaper. None of that stuff is going to pass."

Yet, if the Democrats capture both of the seats in Georgia––securing a 50-50 tie in the Senate––then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris could serve as the tiebreaking vote. Under this scenario, President-elect Biden would be able to push his progressive agendas regarding large coronavirus stimulus, climate change regulations, a tax increase on the rich, expansion of Affordable Care Act, Voting Rights Act, etc.

Brief Overview of Candidates' Campaign:

Incumbent David Perdue:

• Coronavirus: Encourage masks and social distancing; Provide federal grants for schools that reopen

• Healthcare: Reduce prescription drug prices; Stop surprise billing; Repeal Affordable Care Act (ACA)

• Economy: Supports tax cuts; Supports rollback of regulations on the energy industry

• Read more: https://www.perdue.senate.gov/about/issues

Jon Ossoff:

• Coronavirus: Increase Covid-19 Transparency; Utilize short-term measures to mitigate spread; Increase hospital capacity

• Healthcare: Supports public health insurance (ACA and Medicaid)

• Economy: Supports emergency relief; Lowering tax for all but the wealthiest; Nationwide infrastructure for jobs & economy

• Read more: https://electjon.com/policy/

Incumbent Kelly Loeffler:

• Coronavirus: Expand rural access to treatments and personal protective equipment; More funding to support federal response

• Healthcare: Support affordable and accessible healthcare; Reduce prescription drug prices; Stop surprise billing

• Economy: Supports Donald Trump's economic agenda

• Read more: https://kellyforsenate.com/issues/

Rev. Raphael Warnock:

• Coronavirus: Collaborate with medical experts; Plan robust testing and contract tracing protocols

• Healthcare: Expand public health insurance (ACA and Medicaid); Opposes insurance companies' influence

• Economy: Supports living wage and small businesses

• Read more: https://warnockforgeorgia.com/issues/

As of today, President Trump continues to attack the integrity of the election and deny his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden. Despite such accusations, let us not forget that democracy is not about one individual. It's about all of us. As Abraham Lincoln said, "Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people."