KELLY LOEFFLER

The rival group to Stacey Abrams' "Fair Fight" says it has the "playbook" to counter Democrat advances in swing states ahead of the 2024 elections.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, former Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler urged Georgians to turn out in high numbers to propel Herschel Walker to victory.

There will be only four weeks before the Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker for U.S. Senate.

The race between Georgia incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker is too close to call and will go to a runoff election this December. What does that mean?

A Libertarian Senate candidate is winning more than 2%, denying Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock the 50% threshold they need to avoid a runoff.

Newly reported text messages show that Kelly Loeffler's fears about her election, not the facts, spurred her to oppose legitimate electoral votes.

Tricia Raffensperger blasted Sen. Kelly Loeffler for endangering her whole family by parroting Trump's 2020 election denial lies just to keep her job.

After the January 6 siege, an aide warned Loeffler that she and her husband could face "long term reputational risk" if she went ahead with objecting.

The Trump Organization is under investigation for manipulating asset valuations for financial gain. Three Trump children have now been questioned in the probe.

Amid criticism of other voting changes, few noticed in 2021 when Georgia lawmakers shortened the period between an election and a runoff from nine weeks to four weeks.

Donald Trump is being investigated in Georgia over a call asking the secretary of state to find him votes to overturn a win there by President Joe Biden.

"If you already made the decision ... then why are you even here?" Trump asked Kemp regarding his decision to tap Loeffler for the upper chamber.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi reignited the debate after she explained why she was against prohibiting trading.

Meadows, then the White House chief of staff, played a key role in furthering Trump's efforts to pressure officials and overturn his election loss.

Sidney Powell, a high-profile attorney who backed former President Donald Trump's 2020 election fraud claims, pushed the idea of a well-funded secret operation, including a murder plot, to stop a review of the contest.

President Joe Biden has honored the 2020 WNBA champions Seattle Storm at the White House.

Republicans’ U.S. Senate nomination in a premier battleground like Georgia is a plum political prize, but a year before GOP voters choose a nominee for the 2022 midterms, they have no clear options.

A year of activism reframed the role of sports in American public life.

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

The NAACP has given him its Jackie Robinson Sports Award. And, for the first time, the nation's oldest civil rights organization is recognizing more than one person by honoring the WNBA Players Association. Ad“I am so proud of the WNBA players for this well-deserved recognition of their continued activism and advocacy for social justice and equality," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement provided to the AP. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, outspoken on many issues himself, admires the WNBA players for their activism. “I love what the WNBA players have done.

The WNBA announced the sale of the Atlanta Dream to a group that includes former player Renee Montgomery on Friday. "With the unanimous WNBA and NBA votes, today marks a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization and we are very pleased to welcome Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair to the WNBA," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in statement. I am also thrilled that former WNBA star Renee Montgomery will be joining the ownership group as an investor and executive for the team. JULIO AGUILAR / Getty ImagesMontgomery, a two-time WNBA champion, will be the first former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA team, according to the league. Atlanta's Renee Montgomery shoots a free throw during the WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the Atlanta Dream in 2019.

Kelly Loeffler, the former U.S. senator who lost her seat in the Georgia runoff elections last month, is no longer a WNBA team owner. The Women's National Basketball Association announced Friday that it and the NBA board of governors have unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream to Larry Gottesdiener, chairman of real estate firm Northland. On a media call discussing the sale, Engelbert said Montgomery would be a huge "asset" to the new owners. "I want to continue to grow and we're going to continue to grow the momentum in Atlanta for Atlanta Dream," said Montgomery on the call. But painting a picture of WNBA team valuations, sports bankers estimate the 2019 sale of a bigger-market team — the New York Liberty — sold in the $10 million to $14 million range.

James applauded Montgomery's ownership role by posting on Twitter: “So proud of this Queen. “The Dream isn’t going anywhere.”The WNBA announced on Jan. 20 the ownership change was close to being completed. “I want to take this time to thank the WNBA players, particularly the Dream players,” Engelbert said Friday. They served as role models with their advocacy and continue to do that.”Gottesdiener said the Dream players captured his attention and respect. “Today does mark a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization," Engelbert said.

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.

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.

The Atlanta Dream, the WNBA team co-owned by outgoing Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, is on the verge of being sold, the league confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday. "As it relates to the Atlanta Dream, we understand a sale of the franchise is close to being finalized," a WNBA spokesperson told CBS News. But Loeffler objected to the practice in June and asked WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to put an end to it. In a statement deriding the protest in August, Loeffler called the players' shirts a sign of cancel culture. In response, the Atlanta Dream and other members of the WNBA endorsed one of her Senate opponents, Democrat Raphael Warnock, going so far as to wear "Vote Warnock" shirts at their games.

“As it relates to the Atlanta Dream, we understand a sale of the franchise is close to being finalized,” the league said in a statement. An Atlanta Dream spokeswoman said the team had no comment on the impending sale at this time. Brian Kemp, didn't immediately sell the team, WNBA players started to endorse and campaign for her opponent, Democrat Raphael Warnock, who defeated Loeffler in Georgia's runoff election on Jan. 5. Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman who had closely aligned herself with Trump, has been an owner of the Dream since 2011. The Dream would be the second WNBA franchise sold this month.

The Atlanta Dream, the WNBA team co-owned by outgoing Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, is on the verge of being sold, the league confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday. "As it relates to the Atlanta Dream, we understand a sale of the franchise is close to being finalized," a WNBA spokesperson told CBS News. The Atlanta Dream are potentially being sold, the WNBA said. But Loeffler objected to the practice in June and asked WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to put an end to it. In a statement deriding the protest in August, Loeffler called the players' shirts a sign of cancel culture.

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.

“The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration,” Trump said. As Trump wrapped up, thousands of his supporters were already heading to the Capitol, where lawmakers convened to count the electoral votes. In the end, his administration has overseen the construction of roughly 450 miles of border wall construction — likely reaching 475 miles by Inauguration Day. A few dozen Trump supporters rallied hours before his visit to the Rio Grande Valley near the Harlingen, Texas, airport, where he was scheduled to land. Beyond touting the wall, Trump rapidly listed his massive changes on the border aimed at discouraging asylum.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Democrats' momentum for a fresh drive to quickly impeach outgoing President Donald Trump gained support Saturday, and a top Republican said the president's role in the deadly riot at the Capitol by a violent mob of Trump supporters was worthy of rebuke. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said he believed Trump had committed “impeachable offenses.” But he did not explicitly say whether he would vote to remove the president from office at the conclusion of a Senate trial if the House sent over articles of impeachment. “I do think the president committed impeachable offenses, but I don’t know what is going to land on the Senate floor, if anything," Toomey said. Late Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to her Democratic colleagues reiterating that Trump must be held accountable — but stopped short of committing to an impeachment vote. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles — or charges — accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, said his group had grown to include 185 co-sponsors.

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.

How Atlanta's WNBA team helped Warnock clinch history-making Senate win History was made in Georgia when voters elected the first Black senator to represent their state. Reverend Raphael Warnock defeated incumbent Kelly Loeffler, a co-owner of Atlanta's WNBA squad, the Dream. In winning Tuesday's runoff election, Warnock got a big assist from the players on Loeffler's team. Dana Jacobson has the story.

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.

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.

That came soon after the Senate and House separately swept aside an effort by some Republicans to block Biden’s 20 electoral votes from Pennsylvania, the state where he was born. Vermont’s three electoral votes for Biden were quickly accepted by Congress, putting him over the top with 271. ET Thursday that Biden had won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. Confirmation of Biden and Harris’ win by Congress is the final procedural step before the inauguration Jan. 20. AdvertisementThe vote-certifying session of Congress is ordinarily a swift and pro forma affair.

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.

Brian Kemp, during a press conference Wednesday evening, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, to condemn the breach of the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The reaction is just coming in from locals and lawmakers over the results of Georgia’s runoff elections after Trump’s mob siege on the Capitol overshadowed the historic outcomes. Political newcomers and Democrats Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock defeated their opponents, both incumbent Republicans Sens. “I called Reverend Warnock and Jon Ossoff this morning to congratulate them on their hard-fought campaigns. “The insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol was incited by Trump’s poisonous lies & flagrant assault on our Constitution.

Tennessee's GOP senators abandoned the effort, as did Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who lost her runoff election Tuesday, helping to deliver control of the Senate to Democrats. Wisconsin's GOP Sen. Ron Johnson dropped out, as did James Lankford, R-Okla., a promising younger Republican who raised eyebrows when initially supporting the effort. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation," said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “We are back at our posts. As senators debated, Trump took it on the chin from longtime critics like Mitt Romney, R-Utah. Enough is enough.”Romney, the party's 2012 nominee, reminded his colleagues that he knows how unpleasant it is to lose a presidential election, drawing hearty laughter.

Multiple Republican senators reversed course Wednesday evening, saying they won’t object to congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Their change of heart came after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier Wednesday and interrupted their proceedings. “The events that transpired have forced me to reconsider, and I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of these electors,” Loeffler said. Lawmakers gathered to certify the Electoral College votes from each state were forced to evacuate after an angry mob of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol. She lost her Senate race to Democrat Raphael Warnock earlier Wednesday.

Senator Kelly Loeffler drops her objection to the electoral count Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, who lost her Georgia Senate race the night before, addressed a joint session of Congress to say she no longer plans to object to the results of the electoral vote count. Watch her remarks here.

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.

Congress confirmed the election of Joe Biden as president early Thursday, a day after a mob invaded the U.S. Capitol in a chaotic effort to avoid having President Donald Trump be formally recognized as the loser in the race. Scores of his Republican allies in Congress said they would object to the acceptance of electors from states that gave Biden his margin of victory. Erin Schaff | ReutersDuring the night, both chambers of Congress met separately to debate and then vote on objections by Republicans to the Biden electors from Arizona, and then from Pennsylvania. "Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol," Pence said as he opened the session in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said, "The United States Senate will not be intimidated."

It was also the first time the Dow and S&P 500 ended a session above 31,000 and 3,800, respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 211.73 points, or 0.7%, to 31,041.13. Georgia's election results create a 50-50 Senate that Democrats will control, due to the tiebreaking vote in Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected a print of 815,000. Economists polled by Dow Jones had forecast a print of 54.5.

Those claims were further fanned by more than a dozen GOP senators and dozens more Republican House members who had indicated they planned to object to certifying votes in key battleground states. Earlier in the day, the rioters interrupted the procedural meeting to count the electoral votes when they breached the Capitol building, sending lawmakers into hiding. Later, when protesters stormed the Capitol building, Cruz admonished on Twitter, "Those storming the Capitol need to stop NOW. Other senators who were expected to object to the Electoral College votes shared statements on Twitter that condemned the violence, with many praising the Capitol police. Other Republicans who are allies of Trump but hadn't gone so far as to support objecting to the Electoral College votes also condemned the chaos on Capitol Hill Wednesday night.

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.

Some WNBA players celebrated on Wednesday after Democrat Raphael Warnock was projected to defeat incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler in a critical Senate runoff election in Georgia. WNBA players campaigned for Warnock after Loeffler, the co-owner of the WNBA team the Atlanta Dream, criticized the league's support for the Black Lives Matter movement. In a statement deriding the protest in August, Loeffler called the players' shirts a sign of cancel culture. In response, the Atlanta Dream and other high ranking members of the WNBA endorsed Reverend Warnock, going so far as to wear "Vote Warnock" shirts at their games. The Times also reported that the idea was discussed and approved by Stacey Abrams, who holds an advisory position to the WNBA Players Association's board.

Jessica McGowan | Getty ImagesDemocrats will now have a narrow lead in the Senate, which may give President-elect Joe Biden's tax plan a better chance at passing. Increasing the top individual income tax rate to 39.6%: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set a top marginal individual income tax rate of 37%. Biden's proposal would tax unrealized capital gains. Biden's proposal calls for lowering this limit to $3.5 million per individual in bequeaths and $1 million in gifts. The corporate tax rate is currently 21%, but Biden's proposal calls for increasing it to 28%.

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.

Republican officials, donors and advisors, many of them behind the scenes, blamed President Donald Trump for the party's poor showing in the Senate runoff elections in the once reliably red state of Georgia. "Trump f----d the party," a staunch Trump ally said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Trump spread a slew of bogus conspiracy theories and claims of voter fraud about the election, and has attacked the Republican leadership in Georgia. "Trump, Trump, Trump," said a GOP official who worked with Senate leadership on the Georgia runoffs, when asked who is to blame for happened in Georgia this week. A GOP strategist with ties to Trump critic Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah., said the losses will lead to the Republican Party splitting.

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.

Warnock said he hoped "some young person" would be inspired by his historic victory. Both Loeffler and fellow incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue have faced accusations of insider trading and profiting off of the coronavirus pandemic. Warnock said Loeffler had not yet called him to concede, but called for unity — particularly in Congress — amid partisan divisions over the legitimacy of the presidential election. He credited a fellow Georgia Democrat, the late Rep. John Lewis, as an example that should be followed "in this dark moment in America." Asked if he would continue preaching even after his term as a senator begins, Warnock said he "absolutely" would.

Democrat Raphael Warnock is projected to win his Senate race in Georgia, making history as the state's first Black senator. Republican Hiram Revels of Mississippi was the first African American senator, in 1870. Warnock, who will be the 11th Black senator, is the first from Georgia and one of the only Black senators from a southern state. The 92% of the vote among Black voters is slightly higher than the 88% President-elect Joe Biden received in November. Megan Varner/Getty Images"I'm just so very grateful to the people of Georgia," Warnock said on "CBS This Morning" Wednesday.

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.

Control of Senate still up for grabs as Georgia vote count continues Democrats are projected to win at least one of the two Georgia runoff elections that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. CBS News projects that the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, has defeated Republican incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler, but the other race is still too close to call. CBS News' Mark Strassmann has the latest, and CBS News political contributor Molly Hooper join CBSN AM to discuss.

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.

Democrats pick up at least one Senate seat with Warnock's historic victory Georgia Reverend Raphael Warnock made history by becoming his state's first Black senator after beating incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler, according to CBS News projections. He joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss.

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.

Eye Opener: Democrats capture one Georgia Senate seat with Warnock's historic victory CBS News projects Democrat Raphael Warnock as the winner of one of two Georgia Senate runoff elections, beating Republican incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler, while the other Senate race remained too close to call. Also, protesters are gathering in Washington, D.C. to show their support for President Donald Trump before Congress counts the Electoral College results. All that and all that matters in today's Eye Opener. Your world in 90 seconds.

A defiant Sen. Kelly Loeffler has not yet conceded to her opponent Raphael Warnock, who has been declared the projected winner in the Georgia Senate runoff. Of the votes counted so far, the margin separating Warnock and Loeffler is 1.2%. In the other Senate runoff race, Democrat Ossoff was in the lead by more than 17,000 votes. That would also likely widen Warnock’s lead over Sen. Loeffler, keeping him even further out of recount territory. The Secretary of State’s deadline to certify state results is January 22.

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.

Raphael Warnock won the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff, flipping a Republican seat and bringing Democrats one step closer to unified control of Congress and the White House, according to NBC News projections. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Raphael Warnock speaks on his campaign's Youtube account after the runoff election against Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. January 6, 2021. Warnock for Georgia | ReutersWith Warnock's projected win, the Democratic caucus has 49 members in the upper chamber, while Senate Republicans hold 50 seats. Under Georgia election rules, both Senate seats moved to runoffs because none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote in November. Senator Kelly Loeffler speaks at the GA GOP election night event for the run-off election for Georgia’s two Senate seats in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., January 6, 2021.

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.

(Ben Gray / Associated Press)AdvertisementAdvertisementVoters wait in line for Georgia’s Senate runoff elections in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)Voters check in before casting their votes in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)A poll worker waits for voters to arrive Tuesday. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)President Trump at a campaign rally Monday in Dalton, Ga. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)President-elect Joe Biden acknowledges the crowd at the rally in Atlanta on Monday. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)Democratic supporters wait for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at a drive-in rally on Sunday in Savannah, Ga. (Stephen B. Morton / Associated Press)

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.

Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler will object to count of Electoral College votes Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler says she'll support President Trump's objections to the Electoral College vote. Loeffler is fighting to keep her seat in Georgia's runoff election Tuesday. Adam Murphy, an investigative reporter with CBS Atlanta affiliate WGCL, joins CBSN's "Red & Blue" with the latest from Loeffler's Election Day headquarters.

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.

ATLANTA – Voting precincts in Georgia closed Tuesday at 7 p.m. in what’s been the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. After the polls closed, the state began counting vote-by-mail ballots in addition to the votes cast Tuesday. More than 3 million Georgians had voted early, either by mail or during in-person voting in December. If Democrats win both seats, they will have control of the Senate, as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will become the tiebreaking vote. The early turnout was expected to benefit Democrats, as it helped Biden in November become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since 1992.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Two high-stakes runoff elections in Georgia are poised to determine which party controls the Senate over the next two years. What the contests won't do is affect the certification of Electoral College results by Congress. Regardless of the outcome of their races, it won’t change the calculus in Congress when it comes to the Electoral College certification process. And thanks to quirks in Georgia election law, Perdue won’t be able to cast a vote Wednesday even if he wins. If he wins, he can retake his seat after the results of his election are certified later this month and Georgia Gov.

(AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA – Voters across Georgia cast their ballots Tuesday to decide which party will control the U.S. Senate. “I feel like for the Republican candidates to still stand there with Trump and campaign with Trump feels pretty rotten. James said he was worried about losing a balance of power in Washington if Democrats win control of the Senate. ___ANGELA TRAN, 27Tran voted for Warnock and Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff at a church in downtown Atlanta. Tran said the attack ads against Warnock actually swayed her to vote for him and Ossoff.

Here are some big questions as the 2020 election cycle finally nears a close:DOES TRUMP HELP OR HURT HIS PARTY? While Biden nipped Trump, Perdue led Ossoff by about 88,000 votes in November, finishing just short of the outright majority required to avoid a runoff. Perdue was within a few thousand votes of Trump, leaving Ossoff about 100,000 votes behind Biden’s pace. About 115,000 Senate votes in the Perdue-Ossoff contest went to a Libertarian. Warnock and Ossoff talk often of a “new Georgia” as they concentrate efforts around Atlanta and the state’s mid-size cities.

In Georgia, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Republican David Perdue , whose Senate term just expired Sunday, are facing off in Tuesday's election against Democratic challengers Rev. "I think the next 48 hours are going to be among the worst for the GOP," he added. "There is a greater divide in the Republican Party than there is in the Democratic Party," Luntz said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday from Georgia. "The party is in the process of tearing itself apart and you don't do that now, when you're this close to the most important Senate election, literally, in a lifetime. "That spells a lot of chaos within the GOP at a moment when the public is saying to both political parties, 'Just govern.

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.

Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, are challenging incumbent Republicans’ David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the race that will determine which party will control the Senate. No matter who wins these races, there will be a razor-thin majority in the Senate. In an AP VoteCast survey of voters, among those who voted for Perdue – 57% approve of how Georgia Gov. Among those who voted for Ossoff, 44% approve of Kemp’s handling on the election results, compared to 54% who disapprove. Even Jacksonville television was saturated with political advertising with the candidates doing everything they could to reach Georgia voters in the viewing area.

Georgia's two Senate runoff elections on Tuesday will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GEORGIA SENATE ELECTIONSGeorgia’s two Senate runoff elections Tuesday will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Democrats need to win both of Georgia’s Senate runoff elections to claim the Senate majority. Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections on Tuesday will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Georgians are voting on two Senate runoff elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate.

ATLANTA – Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Wednesday, becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the party's reach. Warnock, 51, acknowledged his improbable victory in a message to supporters early Wednesday, citing his family’s experience with poverty. 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. “I feel like for the Republican candidates to still stand there with Trump and campaign with Trump feels pretty rotten.

It is unclear just what the Republican senators will do, but the process could drag into the night as the two chambers will have to consider each objection individually. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trump’s win, but Biden, who presided at the time as the vice president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Trump’s victory. And more than a dozen Republican senators have said they will not support the effort. Facing the criticism from many in his own party, Cruz has attempted to put a finer point on his challenge. The commission remains his focus, he has said, not to undo the election results, even though that would be the practical effect of a successful objection.

What’s a runoff election? Runoff elections are second elections held if no candidate reaches the necessary requirement of votes during the first election. Why is there a runoff election in Georgia? If that doesn’t happen, then the top two vote-getters square off in a runoff election. Why are the Georgia runoff races so important?

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro is confident in Democrats' ability to turn out Latino voters in Georgia's special election on Tuesday. Both the Republican and Democratic parties have sent high-profile surrogates to the state, including President Trump, President-elect Biden and former President Obama. The Associated Press' Votecast survey found that 3% of Georgia's 5 million general election voters were Latino and 60% of them voted for Mr. Biden in November. "What I expect is that we're going to see a good, healthy turnout, not only in the Latino community but across diverse communities for these Democratic candidates," he said. "I'm confident … the Latino community is going to come out in a big way for these two Democratic candidates."

ATLANTA – Polls will open Tuesday for a rare Georgia runoff election because no candidate for either Senate seat had 50% of the vote in November. Election Day. That would give Democrats a Senate majority to go along with their control of the House and executive branch. A recorded phone call with Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, has sparked debate from both Republicans and Democrats. “You just can’t let them steal the U.S. Senate, you can’t let it happen.”More than 3 million Georgians already have voted.

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.

Trump says “the stakes in this election could not be higher” as he warns a boisterous crowd of several thousand supporters about Democrats winning control of the Senate. The crowd shouted back, “Fight for Trump.”Trump is also repeating the false assertion that he won the presidential race in Georgia. Trump says he’s had two elections in Georgia, and “I won both.”He is also promising he will be returning to Georgia in a year and a half to campaign against the state’s Republican Gov. Earlier Monday, President-elect Joe Biden campaigned for Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Trump is continuing to push Republican lawmakers to fight Biden's electoral victory when Congress meets to affirm the vote on Wednesday.

It’s a new year, and tomorrow can be a new day for Atlanta, for Georgia and for America,” Biden said at a drive-in rally. The call highlighted how Trump has used the Georgia campaign to make clear his continued hold on Republican politics. A top Georgia election official said hours before Trump's rally that he “wanted to scream” after hearing audio of the president's call with Raffensperger. Biden said he needs a Senate majority to pass legislation to combat the coronavirus, and he blasted Perdue and Loeffler as obstructionist Trump loyalists. Ossoff and Warnock have countered with warnings that a Republican Senate will stymie Biden's administration, especially on pandemic relief.

Perdue got about 88,000 more votes than Ossoff in the general election, but a Libertarian candidate’s 115,000 votes kept him from topping 50%, which is required to win. Warnock got 1.6 million votes, while Loeffler got nearly 1.3 million and Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins placed third with nearly a million votes. No ballots, including absentee ballots received in advance of Election Day, can be counted until the polls close. Second, Republican voters have been more likely to vote in person, either on Election Day or during the early voting period. In November, more than 5 percent of Georgia’s votes were counted after noon on the day after Election Day.