ATLANTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The race between incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock (D) and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker is too close to call and will head to a runoff election.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, neither candidate made nor surpassed the votes needed to clinch the election, both having hovered around 48 and 49 percent for several hours into Wednesday morning.
Georgia requires a majority to win statewide office, and with incomplete returns showing a close race and a third-party candidate on the ballot, it was possible that neither Warnock nor Walker would surpass the 50% threshold.
Warnock finished with 49.41% of the vote (1,941,275 votes), while Walker finished with 48.52% of the vote (1,906,192 votes). Libertarian Chase Oliver only received 2.07% of the vote or 81,173 votes.
At his election night watch party, Walker spoke to a crowd of supporters and said, “I’m like Ricky Bobby, I don’t come to lose.” Earlier in the day Tuesday, Warnock addressed his supporters, saying “Georgia, I see you. And I’m ready to serve you for 6 more years.”
The runoff election is scheduled for December 6, 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
