DAVID PERDUE

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says he'll push for a new state law that would loosen the state's handgun requirements.

Supporters of Donald Trump are trying to remove some of the guardrails that stopped him from overturning the 2020 presidential election.

How do politicians address the weaknesses in the voting system without fuelling baseless claims of election fraud?

Democrat Stacey Abrams is calling on Congress to act on voting rights as she launches a second bid to become Georgia's governor.

The tight relationship between Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and former President Trump crumbed after Kemp upheld the 2020 election results. Now, Trump has his staunch supporter challenging Kemp in 2022.

Georgia Republican David Perdue is furthering his embrace of debunked claims that Georgia’s 2020 presidential election was wrongly decided as he runs for governor.

Days after announcing his candidacy for governor, Republican David Perdue further embraced debunked claims of electoral fraud in Georgia's 2020 presidential race by joining a lawsuit seeking to prove he and former President Donald Trump were cheated out of election victories. The suit claims that fraudulent or counterfeit ballots were counted in Fulton County, the state's most populous jurisdiction, although investigators rebutted the same claims previously. Perdue's lawsuit amplifies claims that the former senator has made this week since announcing a challenge to incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday.

Former Vice President Mike Pence visited early-voting New Hampshire, where he delivered a speech railing against President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy, schmoozed with local activists, dropped by holiday parties, shopped at a local bakery and raised money for state Republicans.

Ex-President Donald Trump’s former ambassador to Slovenia has become the third Republican candidate to announce a challenge to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey in next year’s gubernatorial primary.

Former President Donald Trump has set out to reshape the GOP in his image across the nation’s top political battlegrounds, sparking bitter primary battles.

Less than a year after losing the presidency, Donald Trump has set out to reshape the GOP in his image across the nation's top political battlegrounds, sparking bitter primary battles that will force candidates and voters to decide how much to embrace Trump and his grievances. Trump has inspired a slate of loyalists to seek statewide office in the Southern swing state, and as of Monday, that group included former Republican Sen. David Perdue, who formally launched a challenge against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. The move marked a rare, serious primary threat to a sitting governor, bucking the wishes of GOP leaders in Washington and ensuring months of Republican infighting in a state where the party is trying to restore its dominance.

"Perdue’s only reason for running is to soothe his own bruised ego," spokesperson for Gov. Kemp

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is likely to face a prominent challenger for the 2022 Republican primary for governor, former Sen. David Perdue.

Perdue was narrowly forced into a runoff in the 2020 election and lost his seat to Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).

Stacey Abrams' 2022 Democratic campaign for Georgia governor is likely to be different than her narrow 2018 loss.

In North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, former President Trump has played an outsized role in boosting candidates that have earned his endorsement.

A congressional ethics watchdog has concluded there is “substantial reason to believe” that the wife of Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly used nonpublic information gained through her husband’s position in Congress to purchase stock last year.

A congressional ethics watchdog has concluded there is “substantial reason to believe” that the wife of Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly used nonpublic information gained through her husband's position in Congress to purchase stock last year, a likely violation of federal law and House rules. The company had threatened to shut down a plant in Kelly's district unless the Trump administration took action that would help make it more competitive, steps the administration took after Kelly, a Republican, and others intervened. The ethics office has recommended that subpoenas be issued for Kelly, his wife, Victoria, a senior staffer and former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross because they declined to be interviewed or participate in the investigation.

Supporters of Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp are fighting back against Donald Trump and their own party leaders.

The rewards of an early Donald Trump endorsement were on display Saturday evening in Georgia.

The rewards of an early Donald Trump endorsement will be on display Saturday in Georgia.

In early 2020, Kentucky lawmaker's wife bought stock in a company that developed coronavirus treatment.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul waited more than a year to disclose that his wife bought stock in a company that makes a COVID-19 treatment.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul waited more than a year to disclose that his wife purchased stock in a company that makes a COVID-19 treatment, an investment made after Congress was briefed on the threat of the virus but before the public was largely aware of its danger. The Republican filed a mandatory disclosure Wednesday revealing on Feb. 26, 2020 that Kelley Paul purchased somewhere between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of stock in Gilead, which makes the antiviral drug remdesivir. Word of the looming danger posed by the coronavirus began to spread through Congress in late January 2020, after members received the first of several briefings on the economic and public health threat that it posed.

Kushner told Georgia Sen. David Perdue that the whole operation went downhill with Rudy Giuliani in charge, saying, "I can't help you."

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says voters “know what the truth is” when it comes to the job he's performed as governor.

The divisions among Georgia Republicans after the 2020 election are being laid bare at the party's annual convention.

Rep. Tom Malinowski has scolded those who may be looking to capitalize on the once-in-a-century pandemic.

Georgia Republican Doug Collins, a favorite of former President Donald Trump, says he doesn’t plan to run for governor or U.S. Senate in 2022.

Georgia's well-known voting rights advocate, Stacey Abrams, is taking a carefully balanced approach in response to new laws many people have said are an attempt by Republicans to suppress votes by people of color.

Republicans in Georgia are calling for party unity to avoid more losses to Democrats in 2022.

Both men say they support Georgia Republicans' efforts to enact an ID requirement for absentee voting that would do away with the state's signature matching system, which Trump heavily attacked. As Trump disputed Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia, Raffensperger argued the election was accurate and fair. A recorded conversation between Trump and Raffensperger leaked to media, allowing the public to hear Trump pressure Raffensperger and his office to “find 11,000-plus votes” to reverse Biden’s win. The House version, which passed Monday on a party-line vote, would require a photo ID for absentee voting and limit the number of weekend days counties can schedule early voting, among many other changes. The Senate bill would limit absentee voting to just seniors, people with disabilities and people who’ll be out of town.

FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2020 file photo, Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., speaks during a "Save the Majority" rally in Augusta, Ga. Perdue says he won’t run in 2022 to reclaim a seat in the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)ATLANTA – Former Georgia Sen. David Perdue said Tuesday that he will not run in 2022 to reclaim a seat in the U.S. Senate, eight days after the defeated Republican filed campaign paperwork that could have opened the way for him to run against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Ossoff’s win, along with Warnock’s victory over Sen. Kelly Loeffler, resulted in Democrats taking control of the Senate for the first time since 2011. That’s because Warnock is filling the remainder of retired Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. Ad“As we saw in my race in November, Georgia is not a blue state,” Perdue said.

Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., who is running for reelection, speaks during a campaign event at Peachtree Dekalb Airport in Atlanta, Ga., on Monday, November 2, 2020. Georgia Republican David Perdue said Tuesday he will not mount a new bid for the Senate in 2022, abruptly ending speculation he had stoked just one week earlier. The seat is held by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of two Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5. The victories by Ossoff and Warnock delivered effective control of the Senate to Democrats by the narrowest or margins. Perdue's potential challenge in 2022 was expected to be against Warnock, who is serving out the term of Republican ex-Sen. Johnny Isakson.

FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2021, file photo President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue at Dalton Regional Airport in Dalton, Ga. Trump will be making his first post-presidential appearance at a conservative gathering in Florida next weekend. Ian Walters, spokesman for the American Conservative Union, confirmed that Trump will be speaking at the group's annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 28. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON – Donald Trump will be making his first post-presidential appearance at a conservative gathering in Florida next weekend. Ian Walters, spokesman for the American Conservative Union, confirmed that Trump will be speaking at the group's annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 28. AdTrump has a long history with CPAC, which played a key role in his emergence as a political force.

Ivanka Trump comes onto stage as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in support of Senate candidates Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue in Dalton, Ga., Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Ivanka Trump will not be running for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's U.S. Senate seat in 2022 as she settles into life after Washington. Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law, who served as a chief campaign surrogate, is still considering running for the Senate in North Carolina. And the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., remains deeply popular with his father's base. AdIn a pair of friendly statements, Rubio and Ivanka Trump praised one another for their efforts together working on issues like paid family leave.

ATLANTA – Former Georgia Sen. David Perdue filed campaign paperwork Monday, opening up the potential for the recently defeated Republican to run against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2022. Perdue, 71, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, an early step toward a possible bid to return to Washington. Perdue lost his reelection bid during a closely watched runoff last month against Democrat Jon Ossoff. Ossoff’s win, along with Warnock’s victory over Sen. Kelly Loeffler, resulted in Democrats taking control of the Senate for the first time since 2011. That’s because Warnock is filling the remainder of retired Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term.

Sen. Raphael Warnock was Lewis’ pastor and stood at his bedside before Lewis died. It seeks to restore portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. Democrats and voting rights groups argue that the ruling has led to a cascade of changes in many states that have disenfranchised voters, including polling place closures. They are the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. “My friend John Lewis planted the foundation of this Georgia over his career,” Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey said in a tweet.

The certification by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger officially seals Warnock and Ossoff's victories over their Republican opponents in the Jan. 5 runoffs. Once Warnock and Ossoff are sworn in, there will be a 50-50 partisan divide in the Senate, giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote. Biden in November became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992, while Warnock and Ossoff are the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. Loeffler gave a farewell speech from the Senate floor Tuesday, where she thanked her supporters and wished Warnock well. Perdue's term ended Jan. 3, while Loeffler remains in the Senate until Warnock is sworn in because she was appointed to fill Isakson's unexpired term.

Ivanka Trump comes onto stage as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in support of Senate candidates Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue in Dalton, Ga., Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Ivanka Trump's global women's development program is about halfway toward its goal of helping 50 million women in developing countries advance economically by 2025. That's according to an annual report for the U.S. government's Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative released Wednesday as the program nears its two-year mark. President Trump established the program in February 2019, directing the U.S. government to make global women's development a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and national security. Ivanka Trump has promoted the program during visits to Africa and South America.

It occurred as election officials were conducting an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in Cobb County. Trump pressed the investigator to look into Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold that contains most of Atlanta. AdVarious election officials across the country and Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud in the election. During another call in early December, Trump pressed Georgia Gov. In last week’s call with Raffensperger, Trump urged the secretary of state to change the certified results.

In a state long dominated by Republicans, Democrats won Georgia’s electoral votes for president in November and two U.S. Senate seats in runoff elections Tuesday, defeating Kemp's hand-picked Senate appointee. And the defeats of both Loeffler and fellow Republican David Perdue handed control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. Some Republicans blame Trump and his false claims of election fraud for hurting GOP turnout in the the Senate runoffs. “I’ll be here in about a year and a half, campaigning against your governor,” Trump said. “I guarantee it.”The strain on Kemp was on display Tuesday when the governor attended an election-night event for the GOP Senate candidates before their defeats were sealed.

Perdue has taken down a digital campaign ad featuring a manipulated picture of his Democratic opponent, Jon Ossoff, who is Jewish, with an enlarged nose. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)ATLANTA – Democratic control of the U.S. Senate came one step closer to fruition Friday after Georgia Republican David Perdue conceded his runoff loss to Democrat Jon Ossoff. A day earlier, the GOP's Kelly Loeffler conceded to Democrat Raphael Warnock in Georgia's other Senate race. I would also like to congratulate Senator-elect Jon Ossoff and pledge to work with him and the incoming administration to serve the people of our state and put hardworking Georgians first. He led Ossoff by about 88,000 votes in November's general election, but failed to top 50% required to avoid the runoff.

Trends and opinions among Georgia voters appear to be shifting since the November election, according to AP VoteCast, which surveys thousands of voters in the state before the presidential race and during the Senate runoffs. One question asked voters whether they believed the country was heading in the right direction. Looking at attitudes toward President Trump among voters choosing Republicans: In the November election, 89% of Perdue’s voters said they had a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the president, in the AP VoteCast survey. Compare that to the results of the AP VoteCast survey for the runoff: Among Perdue voters, views of the president remained similar, with 87% favorable to 12% unfavorable. But I would expect there will be a large chunk of voters who will step away after what they witnessed this week.”

Lawmakers were resolved to complete their constitutional duty despite frayed nerves, high tensions and the nation’s capital on alert. The only other challenge was to the Pennsylvania electors, but that was also debated and denied. Florida Sen. Rick Scott was one of only eight in the nation who voted to sustain one or both objections. Florida’s senior senator, Marco Rubio, voted with the majority to accept the Electoral College vote and called on Trump to do more to help restore order. In the House, 12 Florida congressmen and six from Georgia voted to object to either the Arizona or Pennsylvania slate of Biden electors.

ATLANTA – Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler on Thursday conceded to Democrat Raphael Warnock in one of two Georgia Senate runoffs that will give control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. With his victory in Tuesday’s election, Warnock becomes the first African American from Georgia elected to the Senate. “Unfortunately we came up slightly short in the runoff election,” Loeffler says in the video. Democrat Jon Ossoff beat Republican David Perdue in Georgia’s other Senate runoff. Tuesday's runoff election broke turnout records for a Georgia runoff, with more than 4.4 million ballots cast.

Historic wins tip control of U.S. Senate to Democrats Democrat Jon Ossoff beats incumbent Georgia Senator David Perdue while Democrat Raphael Warnock is the projected winner in the state's other runoff against incumbent Kelly Loeffler. Neither Perdue nor Loeffler have conceded. Mark Strassmann reports.

Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of two runoffs in Georgia with a broad coalition of voters including Black Americans, moderates and suburban women. Democrats narrowly edged out Republicans among that group, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 3,700 Georgia voters. Black voters — 32% of the electorate in the runoff, according to the survey — supported Ossoff and Warnock almost universally. VoteCast showed Black voters were 29% of the November electorate. About 6 in 10 Georgia voters say they were contacted on behalf of Democratic candidates, compared with about half for Republican candidates, according to VoteCast.

At 33, the millennial Democrat will assume his own leadership mantle after being one of two candidates to help the party sweep Georgia's crucial U.S. Senate runoff elections, a victory that sealed Democrats' control of the chamber. Ossoff defeated Republican David Perdue in the runoff that was held Tuesday after neither he nor Perdue received 50% of the vote in November. This is Ossoff's first election to public office, and he will be the youngest member of the Senate. For his Senate campaign, he took a sharper approach. In a victory speech early Wednesday, Ossoff said he would follow the example set by Lewis.

Jon Ossoff will win his Georgia Senate runoff race, CBS News projects, beating incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue. Ossoff, 33, will be the youngest Democrat to serve in the U.S. Senate since President-elect Joe Biden, who assumed office in 1973 at the age of 30. When he was sworn in, Mr. Biden became the sixth youngest senator ever at 30 years, 1 month, and 14 days. Former Oklahoma Senator Don Nickels, a Republican, was the youngest senator since Biden when he was sworn in at 32 years old in 1981. He is the youngest Republican ever elected to the Senate.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff of Georgia speaks to supporters during a rally on November 15, 2020 in Marietta, Georgia. Ossoff faces incumbent U.S. Sen. David Purdue (R-GA) in one of two January 5 runoffs for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. Democrat Jon Ossoff beat Republican David Perdue in one of Georgia's two Senate runoffs, NBC News projected Wednesday, sealing his party's control of Congress and the White House. The victories set up a 50-50 split in the Senate, giving Democrats a slim majority with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote. He and Warnock — who will become the first African American senator from Georgia and the third sitting Black senator — sealed the first Democratic Senate majority since 2014.

Former President Barack Obama congratulated Senator-elect Raphael Warnock on Wednesday, following the reverend's projected win against incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler in Tuesday's Senate runoff election in Georgia. "My friend John Lewis is surely smiling down on his beloved Georgia this morning, as people across the state carried forward the baton that he and so many others passed down to them," Mr. Obama said in a statement. In his statement, Mr. Obama also credited the state's former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, who helped register hundreds of thousands of new Georgia voters, mostly in communities of color. Former President Barack Obama waves to the crowd with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Raphael Warnock during a Drive-in Mobilization Rally to get out the vote for Georgia Senate candidates on November 2, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Obama urged voters, who turned out in record numbers, to remain politically active, especially in local elections.

Georgia runoffs and the path ahead for Democrats and Republicans CBS News projects Democrat Raphael Warnock will beat out Senator Kelly Loeffler in Georgia, while votes are still being counted in the runoff between Jon Ossoff and GOP Senator David Perdue. Political contributors Leslie Sanchez and Antjuan Seawright spoke joined CBSN to discuss about the futures of the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as the effort by some GOP lawmakers in Congress to object to Electoral College votes.

Raphael Warnock's roots showed little promise of a future that led to the U.S. Senate. He grew up in Savannah in the Kayton Homes public housing project, the second youngest of 12 children. “Only in America is my story even possible,” Warnock told the cheering drive-in crowd Sunday. Warnock was arrested at the Georgia state Capitol in 2014 while protesting the refusal of state Republicans to expand Medicaid. Warnock recalled the Washington arrest during his speech Sunday in Savannah, as he looked ahead to his next trip to Capitol Hill.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Georgia's runoff election "changes everything" during a Wednesday briefing, saying shifts in the Senate will return money to New York and help the state fight the spread of the coronavirus. An Ossoff win would give the Senate a 50-50 split along party lines, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaker vote. And New Yorkers have been crime victims as far as I'm concerned by the theft of the federal government," he said. The state saw its first confirmed diagnosis of the new, apparently more contagious virus variant this week, detected in Saratoga Springs. Total coronavirus hospitalizations in the state Wednesday stood at 8,655 and there were 161 new deaths due to the virus.

Jon Ossoff claims victory in close Georgia Senate race as vote count continues Democrat Jon Ossoff claimed victory in the Georgia Senate runoff race against Republican Senator David Perdue as votes were still being counted. CBS News has not yet projected a winner in the race, but Ossoff held a razor-thin margin over Perdue on Wednesday morning. Watch Ossoff's remarks.

Trump and Republicans face reckoning as Democrats turn out in Georgia CBS News projecting Democrat Raphael Warnock will win his Georgia Senate runoff, but the other election between Democratic Jon Ossoff and Republican Senator David Perdue is still too close to call. Now, Republicans and President Trump face a reckoning after losing the White House and possibly the Senate. CBS News senior national correspondent Mark Strassmann reports from Decatur, Georgia, and CBSN political reporter Caitlin Huey-Burns joins CBSN from Atlanta with the latest developments.

GOP pollster and strategist Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that the Democratic Party's strong showing in the Georgia Senate runoffs deliver a clear warning to Republicans. "Georgia has not had two Democratic senators in decades, but they look like they've chosen it because of their frustration with what's going on in Washington. This is a lesson for the Republican Party of what's likely to come if they continue to behave this way," Luntz said on "Squawk Box." Luntz, who predicted Democratic victories in Georgia, complimented former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and the Democratic Party for their "very impressive" organization in the state. Luntz said President Donald Trump, who has refused to concede to Biden after losing in November, deserved blame for the GOP performance in the Senate runoffs.

___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GEORGIA SENATE ELECTIONSGeorgia’s two Senate runoff elections determined which party will soon control the U.S. Senate. Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock, while Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated Republican David Perdue. The Associated Press has called the runoffs for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. The Senate race in Georgia between incumbent Republican David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff is too early to call. The contest between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue remains too early to call.

Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock defeated Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Loeffler has not yet conceded, but the Associated Press and major television networks declared Warnock the winner early Wednesday morning. At midday Wednesday, unofficial results showed Warnock was more than 44,000 votes ahead of Loeffler. Democrats will now have a majority in the Senate the first two years of Joe Biden’s presidency. It shatters the previous 2.1 million set in 2008 in the runoff between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.

Warnock projected to beat Loeffler, Ossoff gains edge over Perdue in Georgia Senate runoffs Democrats have picked up at least one Senate seat in Georgia's special elections, according to CBS News data. CBS News projects Reverend Raphael Warnock has defeated his Republican opponent, incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler, while, Jon Ossoff is now taking the lead over Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue. Mark Strassmann reports.

Martin Luther King Jr. preached, becomes the first African American from Georgia elected to the Senate. They also cemented the transformation of Georgia, once a solidly Republican state, into one of the nation’s premier battlegrounds for the foreseeable future. “This campaign has been about health and jobs and justice for the people of this state — for all the people of this state,” Ossoff said in a speech broadcast on social media Wednesday morning. Trump’s claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election, while meritless, resonated with Republican voters in Georgia. AP VoteCast found that 6 in 10 Georgia voters say Senate party control was the most important factor in their vote.

But Black voters were a force in the early vote and on Election Day. Notably, it wasn’t just in metro Atlanta, but also in rural and small-town counties across South Georgia, where Black turnout has historically lagged. That means it was an alliance spanning from the most affluent Black residents of Atlanta, including recent transplants to Georgia, to those Black Georgia natives who hail from the most economically depressed pockets of the state. But Black voters can point to Tuesday’s vote count and take credit for that strategy ending in defeat. According to AP VoteCast, Republican voters are siding with Trump: About 6 in 10 approve of Kemp’s handling of the election aftermath.

In defeating Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, Democrats will have half the seats in the chamber, leaving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to serve as tiebreaker. About three-quarters of voters who backed Republican candidates in Georgia's Senate runoffs say Biden was not legitimately elected two months ago. Nearly two-thirds of all Georgia voters were pessimistic about the nation’s future. Georgia voters were keenly aware of what was at stake. That position was in line with Georgia voters.

CBS News Special Report: Warnock takes lead over Loeffler; Ossoff-Perdue race a toss-up CBS News is characterizing the Georgia Senate runoff between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler as leaning Warnock. The race between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Senator David Perdue remains a toss-up. CBS News senior national correspondent Mark Strassmann and CBS News chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes join "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell in this CBS News Special Report.

“Looks like they are setting up a big ‘voter dump’ against the Republican candidates. The candidate lead swings can be particularly pronounced when votes are recorded in population-dense counties, which often favor Democratic candidates. Trump's tweet revisits a similar baseless claim that he made about his own loss in November to President-elect Joe Biden. Trump has repeatedly — and falsely — claimed that his loss to Biden was the product of widespread voter fraud. Raffensperger repeatedly rebuffed Trump's request and his office has conducted several tallies and recounts.

As the hour slipped past 2 a.m. on the East Coast, Democrat Raphael Warnock beat Republican Kelly Loeffler. King and MSNBC's Kornacki dominated their networks with headache-inducing number crunching. Warnock and Ossoff jumped to early leads, but as more votes came in, the Republicans swung in front. After midnight, the Times judged both Warnock and Ossoff had a better than 95% chance of winning. Fox News spent less time on raw numbers to showcase their prime-time stars, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham.

One question the Associated Press asked voters is how that issue weighed on their minds in deciding how to vote -- and clearly, it weighed heavily. Another question asked how confident voters were that votes were counted accurately in the November 2020 presidential election. Most of those voters favored Perdue over Ossoff -- 96% to 4%. In the race between Loeffler and Warnock, nearly all of the voters who felt this way, also favored Loeffler. Those voters favored Ossoff over Perdue -- 56% to 44%.

But Black voters were a force in the early vote and on Election Day. Notably, it wasn’t just in metro Atlanta, but also in rural and small-town counties across South Georgia, where Black turnout has historically lagged. That means it was an alliance spanning from the most affluent Black residents of Atlanta, including recent transplants to Georgia, to those Black Georgia natives who hail from the most economically depressed pockets of the state. But Black voters can point to Tuesday’s vote count and take credit for that strategy ending in defeat. According to AP VoteCast, Republican voters are siding with Trump: About 6 in 10 approve of Kemp’s handling of the election aftermath.

The call was made after an analysis of outstanding ballots showed there was no way for Perdue, who was seeking a second term, to overtake Ossoff’s lead. Tens of thousands of outstanding votes remain to be counted, but the vast majority were in six Democratic-leaning counties that Ossoff was winning. Many of the ballots left to be counted were mail votes, a form of voting that overwhelmingly favored Ossoff. The remaining votes left to be counted in Republican-leaning areas that favored Perdue were not enough for him to catch up. Until Warnock, a Democrat hadn't won a U.S. Senate contest in the state since former Georgia Gov.

Control of the Senate comes down to today's runoff elections in Georgia for the state's two Senate seats. How to watch the Georgia Senate runoff resultsWhat: Georgia Senate runoff electionsDate: Tuesday, January 5Polls close: 7 p.m. Nearly 3 million votes were cast early in the runoff, with 2 million of those early in-person votes and nearly 1 million absentee. Mr. Trump will hold a rally in Dalton, Georgia, on Monday, January 4, the eve of the election. Vice President Mike Pence will also be in Georgia on Monday at Georgia Faith Community Call to Action at a church in Milner, Georgia.

Nearly two-thirds of all Georgia voters were pessimistic about the nation’s future. In November, about three-quarters of Republican voters in Georgia considered the nation on the right track. Georgia voters were keenly aware of what was at stake. After weeks of the GOP candidates warning about the impact of Democratic control of the White House, House and Senate, Republican backers were more likely to prioritize holding a Senate majority than Democratic supporters. That position was in line with Georgia voters.

Both Senate runoff elections in Georgia were too close to call early Wednesday, according to NBC News, as Democratic Rev. The contests will determine which party holds the Senate majority for the next two years. Warnock led Loeffler with roughly 98% of the vote counted early Wednesday morning, according to NBC. "I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia, no matter who you cast your vote for in this election." Both elections went to runoffs after no candidate garnered more than 50% of the vote in the general election.

Cobb County Republican chair on Georgia Senate runoffs Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are hoping for a strong showing in the Atlanta suburbs. Jason Shepherd, the chairman of the Cobb County Republican Party, joined CBSN's "Red and Blue" to discuss the Georgia Senate runoffs.

Control of the Senate hangs in the balance as Georgia votes in runoffs Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are hoping to unseat Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in the Georgia runoffs. The GOP needs just one win to hang onto control of the Senate. Mark Strassmann reports.

Pastor challenging senator appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to fill remaining two years of term of Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned in late 2019.

In this February 26, 2007 file photograph, Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management. The political advocacy organization backed by the billionaire Charles Koch is encouraging Congress to certify President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. The move comes as several of the network's Republican beneficiaries in Congress plan to object to the results. "Joe Biden is the president-elect, and we support the process and certification of his election," Lo Isidro, a spokesman for the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, said in a statement. The statement comes as other business-friendly organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, pushed back against a group of GOP senators and House members who say they plan to object to the Electoral College results.

As President Trump campaigned in Georgia on Monday night for Republicans facing Senate runoff elections, he also focused on his own election. "There's no way we lost Georgia," Mr. Trump said when he walked onstage, calling the election "rigged." "If the liberal Democrats take the Senate and the White House — and they're not taking this White House — we're going to fight like hell, I'll tell you right now," Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump began his rally by falsely claiming he won Georgia and the presidential election. More than 3 million Georgians voted early, with 2.07 million of those voting in person and 928,000 by mail, according to Georgia Votes.

Data analyzed by Georgia Votes shows more than 115,000 people voted early in the runoffs who didn't vote in November. The Democratic candidates have a fundraising advantage after a massive, record-breaking haul in the third quarter. Many Democratic Senate candidates outraised their opponents last year, but Democrats only flipped two Senate seats. GOP candidates and third party groups have spent $279 million, while Democratic candidates and groups have spent $234 million, according to Kantar/CMAG data. He insisted he wouldn't be a "partisan soldier" but said Democrats need to check Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's power.

President-elect Joe Biden speaks in Atlanta, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, as he campaigns for Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. President-elect Joe Biden went to Atlanta a day before the Georgia Senate runoff to do more than boost the two Democrats in Tuesday's election. As he stumped for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, Biden stressed that votes in Georgia will ripple beyond the Peach State to shape the success of the incoming president's agenda nationwide. One GOP win means Republicans hold the chamber — and more sway over what policy emerges from Washington. Still, a Senate led by GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can steamroll Biden at every turn — on legislation, executive branch nominees and judges.

As President Trump campaigned in Georgia on Monday night for Republicans facing Senate runoff elections, he also focused on his own election. "There's no way we lost Georgia," Mr. Trump said when he walked onstage, calling the election "rigged." "If the liberal Democrats take the Senate and the White House — and they're not taking this White House — we're going to fight like hell, I'll tell you right now," Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump began his rally by falsely claiming he won Georgia and the presidential election. More than 3 million Georgians voted early, with 2.07 million of those voting in person and 928,000 by mail, according to Georgia Votes.

Democrats were within reach of winning control of the Senate on Wednesday as they celebrated the victory of the Rev. The contest between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue, whose Senate term expired Sunday, remained too close to call. AdvertisementVictory for both Warnock and Ossoff would be a major boon for Biden and increase his chances of enacting his legislative agenda. AdvertisementRepublicans only have to win one of the two runoff seats to maintain majority control of the Senate. If Democrats win both races, the chamber will be tied 50 to 50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holding the tiebreaking vote to give Democrats control, which would allow them to approve major parts of Biden’s agenda, as well as his nominees.

Control of the Senate comes down to January 5, when Georgia will hold runoff elections for the state's two Senate seats. How to watch the Georgia Senate runoff resultsWhat: Georgia Senate runoff electionsDate: Tuesday, January 5Polls close: 7 p.m. Nearly 3 million votes were cast early in the runoff, with 2 million of those early in-person votes and nearly 1 million absentee. Mr. Trump will hold a rally in Dalton, Georgia, on Monday, January 4, the eve of the election. Vice President Mike Pence will also be in Georgia on Monday at Georgia Faith Community Call to Action at a church in Milner, Georgia.

President-elect Joe Biden revved up the Democratic base in Atlanta on Monday, ahead of the all-important Senate runoff election in Georgia. Mr. Biden urged voters to cast their ballots for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, as they face off against current Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. "We won three times here," Mr. Biden joked, a reference to the Republican challenges against the election results that still ultimately resulted in his victory. Mr. Biden isn't the only high-profile person in the Peach State on Monday. Mr. Biden won Georgia by more than 11,00 votes, one of the biggest surprise flips in the 2020 presidential race.

As President Trump campaigned in Georgia on Monday night for Republicans facing Senate runoff elections, he also focused on his own election. "There's no way we lost Georgia," Mr. Trump said when he walked onstage, calling the election "rigged." "If the liberal Democrats take the Senate and the White House — and they're not taking this White House — we're going to fight like hell, I'll tell you right now," Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump began his rally by falsely claiming he won Georgia and the presidential election. More than 3 million Georgians voted early, with 2.07 million of those voting in person and 928,000 by mail, according to Georgia Votes.

Data analyzed by Georgia Votes shows more than 115,000 people voted early in the runoffs who didn't vote in November. The Democratic candidates have a fundraising advantage after a massive, record-breaking haul in the third quarter. Many Democratic Senate candidates outraised their opponents last year, but Democrats only flipped two Senate seats. GOP candidates and third party groups have spent $279 million, while Democratic candidates and groups have spent $234 million, according to Kantar/CMAG data. He insisted he wouldn't be a "partisan soldier" but said Democrats need to check Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's power.

Randal Nardone, a co-founder of investment firm Fortress, gave $2,800 to Perdue that same day. Jane Goldman, who runs real estate firm Solil Management, gave $2,800 to both Perdue and Loeffler through the last two weeks of December. In late December, Robert Grammig, a partner at law firm Holland & Knight, gave $2,800 to Loeffler. Karen Pritzker, an investor and billionaire heir to the Pritzker family fortune, gave $2,800 to Ossoff on Dec. 23, records show. George Van Amson, a longtime managing director at Morgan Stanley, gave $1,000 to Warnock's campaign Dec. 14.

Control of the Senate comes down to January 5, when Georgia will hold runoff elections for the state's two Senate seats. How to watch the Georgia Senate runoff resultsWhat: Georgia Senate runoff electionsDate: Tuesday, January 5Polls close: 7 p.m. Nearly 3 million votes were cast early in the runoff, with 2 million of those early in-person votes and nearly 1 million absentee. Mr. Trump will hold a rally in Dalton, Georgia, on Monday, January 4, the eve of the election. Vice President Mike Pence will also be in Georgia on Monday at Georgia Faith Community Call to Action at a church in Milner, Georgia.

Georgia voters mark their ballots during the first day of early voting in the US Senate runoffs at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, December 14, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. "The future of the country is on the ballot here in Georgia," Loeffler told Fox News on Tuesday. Georgia election results have been certified the race, and the state's 16 electoral votes went to Biden. The Warnock campaign has said those clips have been taken out of context and do not reflect his stances. The Ossoff campaign said the money was a royalty check from a distributor received after the Hong Kong company rebroadcast an Insight TWI program.

Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff discusses "a new era in American politics" Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff has emerged as the best funded Senate candidate in U.S. history. His challenge to unseat Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue, and Georgia's other contest between Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler will decide which party controls the Senate chamber for the first two years of the Biden administration. Just two days out from Election Day, Ossoff joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss everything from the Trump administration's "outrageous incompetence" to his thoughts on expanding the Supreme Court.

Georgia Democratic Senate candidates Raphael Warnock (R) and Jon Ossoff (L) bump elbows during a "It's Time to Vote" drive-in rally on December 28, 2020 in Stonecrest, Georgia. More than 3 million Georgia residents have already cast their votes in the two Jan. 5 runoff races, a historic turnout in a contest that determines whether Democrats or Republicans control the U.S. Senate this year. If Perdue and Loeffler win their races, Republicans would hold a 52 seat Senate majority that would allow them to block some of President-elect Joe Biden's agenda. The Democratic caucus would have 50 seats if Ossoff and Warnock win. And a tie-breaking vote from Vice President-elect Harris would give Democrats control of the Senate after six years of a GOP majority.

Senator David Perdue and his wife will quarantine after coming into contact with someone on his campaign who tested positive for COVID-19, Perdue's campaign announced on Thursday. The decision to quarantine comes days ahead of the crucial runoff Senate elections in Georgia on January 5. "This morning, Senator Perdue was notified that he came into close contact with someone on the campaign who tested positive for COVID-19. Both Senator Perdue and his wife tested negative today, but following his doctor's recommendations and in accordance with CDC guidelines, they will quarantine," Perdue's campaign said in a statement. According to CDC guidelines, Perdue and his wife should quarantine for 14 days after their last exposure to the person who tested positive for COVID-19.

Senator David Perdue to quarantine after COVID-19 exposure as Georgia runoff election nears Senator David Perdue's campaign says he will quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes ahead of Tuesday's Senate runoff elections in Georgia. CBS News 2020 campaign reporter Adam Brewster joins CBS News' Omar Villafranca to discuss the state of the race.

Senator David Perdue and his wife will quarantine after coming into contact with someone on his campaign who tested positive for COVID-19, Perdue's campaign announced on Thursday. The decision to quarantine comes days ahead of the crucial runoff Senate elections in Georgia on January 5. "This morning, Senator Perdue was notified that he came into close contact with someone on the campaign who tested positive for COVID-19. Both Senator Perdue and his wife tested negative today, but following his doctor's recommendations and in accordance with CDC guidelines, they will quarantine," Perdue's campaign said in a statement. According to CDC guidelines, Perdue and his wife should quarantine for 14 days after their last exposure to the person who tested positive for COVID-19.

Sen. David Perdue of Georgia entered quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, his campaign said Thursday, less than a week before the Republican's runoff election against Democrat Jon Ossoff. "This morning, Senator Perdue was notified that he came into close contact with someone on the campaign who tested positive for COVID-19," Perdue's campaign said in a statement. "Both Senator Perdue and his wife tested negative today, but following his doctor's recommendations and in accordance with CDC guidelines, they will quarantine," the campaign said. "The Senator and his wife have been tested regularly throughout the campaign, and the team will continue to follow CDC guidelines. She did not test positive for the virus.

Axios co-founder Mike Allen told CNBC on Thursday that some Republicans believe President Donald Trump is hurting the party's chances in next week's Georgia Senate runoffs. "There's a big strain of thought among Republicans that President Trump is sabotaging this race. Trump campaigned for Loeffler and Perdue earlier this month, and he is set to hold another rally in the state Monday. "Georgia, despite the president-elect winning there, is still pretty red, so Republicans said, 'In the end, this could be fine.' They're no longer sure it's fine, and a lot of that has to do with the president," Allen said.

More than 275,000 political ads have aired in the state since Nov. 5, according to AdImpact, which tracks TV and radio spending. AdvertisementThe two Democratic candidates, Warnock and Jon Ossoff, lead their Republican opponents, Sens. The closest thing to a respite from political ads comes in the 3 a.m. hour. “We are using a scalpel, not a bludgeon,” said the group’s political director, Sacha Haworth. Republicans and their allied groups’ ads warn of the consequences of handing control of the Senate to Democrats.

Incumbents face tough choices ahead of the Georgia Senate runoffs The fight over increasing stimulus payments to $2,000 and a vote to override the president's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act could have big implications for Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue as they campaign to keep their seats in the January 5th runoffs. Patricia Murphy, politics reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, spoke with Jamie Yuccas on CBSN about what's at stake and the large early voting turnout in the Peach State.

After threatening to let an omnibus spending package that included the $900 billion Covid relief measure languish in Congress over his displeasure with $600 stimulus checks, Trump signed the bill Sunday. However, he has united with Democrats in a rare occasion in calling for $2,000 in payouts to citizens. "The president made a very smart decision by agreeing to sign [the] legislation," Luntz said on "Squawk Box." After the Democratic-controlled House voted with support from 44 Republicans to increase direct payments to $2,000, the measure is expected to face an uphill battle in the Senate, despite Trump's support. With the runoff in Georgia a week away, Luntz said the GOP is making a "smart decision" to continue strategizing in the state.

President Trump and the Republican National Committee said Sunday that the president will be holding a rally in Dalton, Georgia, on January 4, the night before the state's crucial Senate runoff election. Mr. Trump tweeted on Sunday night. Both Perdue and Loeffler immediately issued statements thanking Mr. Trump for the bill. At Mr. Trump's previous rally in Georgia, he falsely insisted "we won the election" and the state in particular. In January, the district will be represented by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has promoted QAnon conspiracy theories and is a staunch ally of Mr. Trump.