Democratic lawmaker defends US Senate seat in Georgia runoff

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.

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.