Democratic Senate candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof won Georgia’s special Senate elections on Jan. 4. Both men defeated their Republican opponents thanks to strong urban turnout and heavy support from minority voters.

Rev. Raphael Warnock is a Baptist pastor who has been involved for years in political and social progressivism. Warnock ran against Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, a businesswoman with socially and economically conservative views. In the 2020 election, Loeffler played up her record of always supporting Trump, and appealed to more rural voters through strong backing for second amendment rights, pro-life policies, and border control. Loeffler also faced controversy in 2020 due to accusations of insider trading after she and her husband along with fellow former Georgia senator David Perdue used undisclosed COVID-19 information to inform the selling of stocks, which violates the STACK Act. Despite Loeffler facing no legal repercussions, Warnock used this scandal against her during the election, which was detrimental to her supporting numbers. Going into election day, it was unclear which candidate would win, but in the early morning of Jan. 6, Associated Press called the race for Warnock. Warnock made history with his victory, becoming Georgia’s first Black senator. 

Georgia’s second special Senate election proved to be even closer than the first. Jon Ossof, a former journalist and documentary filmmaker, defeated incumbent Republican David Perdue. Throughout the election, Ossof appealed to young and minority voters, supporting progressive views on hot button topics such as abortion, cannabis legalization, and COVID-19 relief spending. Ossof’s campaign also raised over $100 million, setting his record as the most-funded U.S. Senate candidate. David Perdue, the former CEO of Dollar General, ran on basic Republican values and his Senate experience. Perdue is more moderate than Loeffler, being more likely to vote across party lines but is still a staunch Republican. A key moment in this race was Perdue’s absence from a Dec. 6 debate, which Ossof used to discredit him as a candidate. After this moment, Ossof, who had been trailing in polls, began to rise in favorability until his eventual election on Jan. 6, although Perdue did not concede until two days later. Ossof’s election makes him the first Jewish senator from Georgia and the first Jewish senator from the deep-south since 1879.

The 2020 Georgia special election proved to be one of the most contentious senate races in U.S. history, and for good reason. The balance of power in the U.S. Senate relied on this race, and, with both Democrats winning, the party now holds power in the senate, congress, and White House. This gives progressives a clear lane for the first time to enact policies such as cannabis legalization, free healthcare, a raised minimum wage, and more.