UPDATE - Democratic lawmaker defends US Senate seat in Georgia runoff

ADDS WARNOCK, WALKER SPEECHES IN GRAFS 3-4, 7-8

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Democratic US Sen. Raphael Warnock successfully defended his seat Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Herschel Walker for the last remaining Senate seat in this year's midterm elections.

Warnock's victory in Tuesday's runoff elections comes after he and Walker failed to secure a 50% majority in November's midterm elections. Votes are still being counted, but The Associated Press has called the election for the incumbent senator.

Shortly after the AP called the runoff race for him, Warnock told supporters at his Atlanta, Georgia campaign headquarters that he secured victory despite efforts to suppress the vote, pointing to lines that wrapped around buildings with people forced to wait to cast their ballots in the cold and rain, saying voters overcame obstacles to ensure their "voices will not be silenced."

"After a hard-fought campaign, or should I say campaigns, it is my honor to utter the fourth most powerful words ever spoken in a democracy: the people have spoken," he said.

"Because this is America, and because we always have a path to make our country greater against unspeakable odds, here we stand together. Thank you, Georgia.”

Georgia is now a solid battleground state after Democrats made gains in the formerly solidly Republican state since 2020.

Democrats are now slated to hold an outright 51-49 seat majority in the chamber after having defended every Senate seat they held heading into the midterms and picking up one in Pennsylvania, where outgoing Lt. Gov. John Fetterman bested Republican celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz.

Walker conceded defeat, saying he wanted his supporters to continue to "believe in America, and continue to believe in our Constitution, and believe in our elected officials most of all."

"We put up one heck of a fight," he told his supporters. "I'm never going to stop fighting for Georgia. I'm never going to stop fighting for you, because you're my family."