Democrat Raphael Warnock appeared poised to kick Senator Kelly Loeffler from the Senate, while Jon Ossoff moved closer to Republican Senator David Perdue as the Georgia Senate runoff races counted into Wednesday.
Late coverage from DeKalb County put the Democrats in a more impressive position, with Ossoff less than 2,000 votes behind Perdue. Warnock had a lead of about 35,000.
By 10:30 p.m., President Donald Trump cried the election fraud when the two GOP senators were in danger of losing.
"Looks like they are setting up a major 'voting ditch' against the Republican candidates," wrote Trump. "Are you waiting to see how many votes you need?" The president tweeted.
“I just found another 4,000 ballots from Fulton County. Let's go & # 39; Trump tweeted a little later.
The Georgia polls closed at 7 p.m. and an early return preceded Warnock and Ossoff. But then Loeffler moved ahead of Warnock and Perdue took the lead over Ossoff. But later that night, the biggest standout vote came from Democracy-friendly Dekalb County.
The TV stations talked about having to watch these numbers before the races took place. The Drudge Report and other secondary outlets named the race for Warnock. The New York Times said it was "very likely" for Warnock and "fairly likely" for Ossoff. At midnight, Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman predicted that both Democrats would win.
If both Democrats succeed, President-elect Joe Biden will have control of both Houses of Congress when he is sworn in on January 20th.
If Warnock wins, he would be the state's first black senator, while 33-year-old Ossoff would be Georgia's first Jewish senator.
On Tuesday, Trump had already alleged election fraud. floated a theory that Dominion voting machines weren't working.
And as midnight drew near, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted a conspiracy theory that the Democrats in Chatham County, home of the Savannah stronghold, were up to something.
"Why are you stopping the vote count in the Chatham, Georgia Democratic District?" McEnany wrote. "That seems familiar to me!"
On Tuesday, Trump published on his Twitter: "It is reported from the 12th Congressional District of Georgia that Dominion Machines have not been working in certain Republican strongholds for over an hour."
“Ballot papers are left in lockers, hopefully they will count them. Thank you Congressman @RickAllen! & # 39; He went on to thank Georgia's 12th District Representative, Rick Allen.
When the return came on Tuesday evening, Trump sent a donation text to supporters who were trying to raise money from the allegations.
Pres Trump: Is it true that voting machines "stopped working" earlier in Georgia today? Are Dems Trying to Steal That Choice? STRIKE BACK! Act, ”it said in the text, linking to a page asking for donations.
Trump's electoral fraud allegation seems to come from Perdue, who is standing for re-election in the runoff election, and John Fredericks, who appeared on Tuesday's podcast for former White House Trump strategist Steven Bannon.
When the Democratic Senate's hopefuls were ready to move forward, President Donald Trump again alleged fraud, suggesting that there would be an "election campaign" against the GOP candidates, which is why it took Dekalb County so long to report
After midnight, Trump continued to push for a conspiracy whereby election officials found votes that would benefit the Democrats
President Donald Trump's campaign sent a donation tweet on behalf of the president around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night when the return came in, he reiterated his unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud
Election workers in Fulton County, Georgia, are processing postal ballot papers in the Nailbiter race on Tuesday
Georgia Republicans await election results Tuesday night at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia
Georiga governor Brian Kemp speaks to an audience of Republican supporters of Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue on Tuesday evening in Georgia. President Donald Trump has turned against Kemp after losing Georgia in the November general election
"We have another problem with Dominion machines," Fredericks told Bannon on his War Room podcast. “I know this is going to shock your viewers today. But Dominion machines in several – get this one, not one or two – I heard three of the major Republic boroughs were down at 10:00 a.m. & # 39;
"People were told they couldn't scan their ballots … because the machines weren't working," he continued. "In the meantime, you have to put your ballot on paper and put it in an envelope and the Pole workers say," When it's fixed, we'll scan it for you. "
"So there are all kinds of red flags right there," said Fredericks. “Of course these happen in Republic areas. You can extrapolate that, it could be a coincidence. & # 39;
Also on Tuesday, Perdue told the Todd Starnes Show that Dominion machine voting anomalies had occurred in three different Georgia counties.
The president's tweet about allegations of irregularities and malfunctions comes when reports of small lines at polling stations and low voter turnout on election day emerge – a bad sign for Republican incumbents Loeffler and Perdue.
Karl Rove, who served as George W. Bush's deputy chief of staff and is now the Georgia Battleground Fund's financial chairman, said on a private conference call Monday that the models of the two campaigns show that at least 1 million Georgians must appear in the election day in and day out Republicans to win.
The lines in Georgia were much shorter than expected throughout Tuesday as voters turned out to vote on election day to cast their votes in the two Senate runoffs
Incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler (left) waves to supporters who will vote in Sandy Springs, Georgia, while Democratic opponent Reverend Raphael Warnock (right) speaks at a prelude in Marietta, Georgia on election day
Immediately after news of an election day turnout that was lower than expected, Trump tweeted an inevitable allegation that the Dominion voting machines were not working – the same claim that he made to claim he actually won Georgia in November's presidential contest
Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue, who is standing for re-election, is still in quarantine after being diagnosed with coroan virus. His Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff (pictured) visited the Dunbar Neighborhood Center in Acworth, Georgia on election day
Voters lined up at dawn to cast their ballots in the next two runoff elections. However, the queues are quite short. Some claim it took them a total of 5 minutes between showing up and leaving their polling stations
Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris urged Democrats to produce more Tuesday too – despite a larger turnout on election day, which usually favors Republicans.
"I know @ReverendWarnock and @Ossoff," said the California Senator of the two Democratic candidates. “We talked about our country's promise. As we need to help Americans with $ 2,000 stimulus checks, make sure our children have clean air to breathe and our small businesses can thrive. That's who they are – and who they will be as US Senators. & # 39;
On the other hand, Donald Trump Jr. pushed for more Republicans to emerge.
"Go out and choose Georgia. You have two and a half hours to save America as you know it from the communists," said the president's eldest son and one of his closest campaign aides. "She's worth fighting for!"
All eyes were on Peach State on Tuesday as thousands across Georgia went to the polls to cast their ballots in the two consecutive runoff elections that will determine Senate control.
A record 3 million Georgians cast their votes early on, whether in person or by post. This early turnout alone is more than the previous record for voter turnout in a runoff election in Georgia.
Voters lined up in Peach State Tuesday morning and the polls closed at 7 p.m. – Prepare Washington for a day of speculation and nail-biting as the two races determine not only which party controls the Senate but also the course of Joe Biden's presidency.
Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris urges Democrats in Georgia to produce more on Tuesday – despite a higher turnout on election day, which usually favors Republicans
Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son and closest campaign advisor, is also pushing for Republicans to have just a few hours to cast their votes
So far the lines haven't been as bad as expected – which has led to speculation that Warnock and Ossoff could both emerge victorious.
"I hardly hear any lines across the state," Georgia's Deputy Foreign Minister Jordan Fuchs said on Tuesday.
Former Georgia House Minority Leader and failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams tweeted Tuesday that thanks to early voting, voters are getting on and off polling stations within minutes.
"MSNBC reports that voters are walking in and out of many of the Atlanta Metro polling stations in 5 minutes today because so many Georgians voted early!" Abrams posted. “So if you haven't voted, get out and vote until 7pm today. I'm counting on you. & # 39;
This is nothing compared to the very long queues for the early in-person vote in Georgia this year – or the queues that occurred in the pre-pandemic 2018 runoff election.
Similar problems that delayed the results of the Georgian presidential election could arise after Tuesday's run-off competitions, when the turnout is as close as expected.
Voters in Georgia started casting votes in the two runoff elections in the state on Tuesday morning. This determines which party controls the Senate
Georgians came to vote before polling stations even opened. Here a line forms at the Cobb County Community Center in Atlanta, Georgia
Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are expected to vote on Tuesday before the elections close at 7 p.m. – after a record 3 million who were voted ahead of time by post or personally in the runoff elections
Republicans expect to win both Senate races. However, there are concerns that the GOP Senators will only win if at least 1 million more voters join the 3 million who voted early on election day
Masked and socially distant: Georgia voters stood feet from each other and put on face masks as they waited outside to be allowed to vote in their respective polling stations
Trump asked the Georgians to vote for Loeffler and Perdue in a tweet on Tuesday morning: "So important to do that!" he urged
Volunteers at a polling center in Austell, Georgia, hand out food and drink to voters waiting to cast their ballots
The southern state swung blue for Joe Biden on November 3rd with less than 12,000 votes. No Senate race was decided as no candidate earned the 50 percent necessary to avoid a runoff
Georgia voters alone will determine the fate of the Senate in the two runoff elections
A sign outside a polling station reminds candidates and their proxies, as well as everyone else, that campaigning within 150 feet of a polling station is prohibited by law
If either Loeffler or Perdue hold on to their seat, the Republican will retain a majority in the upper chamber and most likely block any legislative action put forward by Biden.
However, if both Warnock and Ossoff emerge victorious after Tuesday's election, the Democrats will have successfully split the Senate between 50 and 50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holding the tie.
& # 39; Georgia, out and VOTE for two great Senators, @KLoeffler and @sendavidperdue. So important to do that! & # 39; Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.
The runoff elections were triggered after none of the four candidates reached the 50 percent threshold required in Georgia to finally win its Senate race on November 3.
The state does not hold primary elections, but has all candidates in the main election with the requirement that they earn at least half of the votes to win.
Trump and Biden held dueling events in Georgia on Monday to use their coattails to build excitement for their respective party's candidates.
However, the rallies may be too late.
Before Monday, more than 3 million Georgians voted early in the Senate – whether by post or in person. This number of early votes far exceeds the previous record of 2.137 million votes cast in runoff elections earlier this year.
With around 5.5 million registered voters in Georgia, more than half of those who can vote have already done so before Tuesday's runoff day.
Data from the Georgian Foreign Minister's office shows that many more people showed up early to vote in person than were absent by mail – even in the middle of the pandemic.
Walter Jones, a spokesman for Georgian Foreign Minister Brad Raffensperger, the senior Georgian election official, said "We may look at a few days" before the results are released.
He claimed the delay would most likely be due to postal ballot papers received on Tuesday.
Election officials cannot start counting the ballot papers until 7 p.m. on Tuesday – after the polling stations close.
Hundreds of thousands of mail-in voting slips will arrive throughout the day on Tuesday and this, coupled with the personal polls listing, could delay the counting process.
Slow counting held up the results of Georgia’s presidential election, with Trump having a solid head start before the November 3 postal ballot papers received were fully processed and counted in the days that followed.
Joe Biden won by less than 12,000 votes in the days after election day – and the tiny profit margin resulted in two separate recounts at Peach State, which further delayed the final results.
Historically, Democrats do better on mail-in and early voting, and Republicans do better on election day.
While pushing for the re-election of Loeffler and Perdue, Trump used his Monday night rally in Dalton County, Georgia to complain about his alleged widespread electoral fraud and his repeated – and largely unproven – allegations that the presidency was "stolen by Democrats." "been.
President Donald Trump hosted a rally in Dalton County, Georgia, Monday night for incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler (pictured) and David Perdue
Perdue attended the rally from a distance to address the crowd at one point. He is still quarantined in his home after contracting coroan virus
Earlier in the day, President-elect Joe Biden hosted a campaign for Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff (left) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (center).
Loeffler told Fox News Monday night that she would join a dozen other Republican senators in challenging the results of at least one state's electoral college if Congress approves the election of Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Trump announced on his Twitter Tuesday morning that Perdue is also joining efforts to question the results.
"We are happy to announce that @KLoeffler & @sendavidperdue have just joined our great #StopTheSteal senatorial group," the president wrote. & # 39; They are going to fight the ridiculous electoral college certification from Biden. How do you certify numbers that have now been shown to be incorrect and, in many cases, fraudulent? & # 39;
Biden won 306 electoral college votes to Trump's 232.
A group of Republicans from the House of Representatives, led by Mo Brooks of Alabama, began moving the plan forward last month and has since gained much acclaim after the group of Senators joined the effort.
Loeffler nahm am Montagabend an der Rallye teil, aber Perdue ist immer noch unter Quarantäne, nachdem er Kontakt mit einem Mitarbeiter aufgenommen hat, der positiv auf COVID-19 getestet wurde.
Er nahm für kurze Zeit per Video an der Kundgebung teil, um die Menge anzusprechen, die sich auf dem Asphalt für eine der letzten Kundgebungen von Trump während seiner Präsidentschaft versammelt hatte.
Trump lobte Loeffler und Perdue am Dienstag dafür, dass sie sich einer GOP-Aktion im Senat angeschlossen hatten, um die Ergebnisse des Wahlkollegiums in der gemeinsamen Sitzung zur Bestätigung der Wahl von Joe Biden am 6. Januar in Frage zu stellen
Während der Kundgebung forderte Trump, dass Vizepräsident Mike Pence "durchkommt", während er dem Kongress vorsteht, der die Wahl am 6. Januar bestätigt, und die Republikaner ihren Plan ausführen, um die Ergebnisse in Frage zu stellen.
“I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. Er ist ein großartiger Kerl «, sagte Trump am Montagabend zu einem Publikum. "Of course, if he doesn't get through I won't like him that much."
Während die größten Verbündeten des Präsidenten in Capitol Hill einige der Wahlkollegien des Bundesstaates in Frage stellen, die die Kongresssitzung für Stunden oder sogar Tage verlängern könnten, wird Pence nur die Ergebnisse bekannt geben.
Obwohl Pence wenig bis gar nichts tun kann, um das Ergebnis zu ändern, schlägt Trump vor, dass er die Macht dazu hat.
Tausende der entschiedensten Anhänger des Präsidenten kommen am Mittwoch nach Washington DC, um gegen die Wahlergebnisse zu protestieren. Sie fordern, dass die Demokraten den Diebstahl stoppen und Trump zum wahren Gewinner erklärt wird.
Die GOP hat sich mitten in der Stichwahl in Georgia von innen nach außen auseinandergerissen, als die Republikaner sich dafür entschieden, mit dem Präsidenten über seine Behauptungen des weit verbreiteten Wahlbetrugs zu stehen oder nicht.
Insbesondere sind die Republikaner in Georgia in dieser Angelegenheit öffentlich gespalten.
In einem Anruf mit dem georgischen Außenminister Brad Raffensperger am Samstag setzte Trump ihn unter Druck, 11.780 Stimmen für ihn im Peach State zu finden, um Bidens Sieg dort aufzuheben.
Das Audio des Anrufs wurde am Sonntag von Raffensperger selbst durchgesickert und enthüllte einen verzweifelten Trump, der den georgischen Beamten, der Republikaner ist, manchmal bettelte, schmeichelte und bedrohte.
Trump hat auch den republikanischen Gouverneur von Georgia, Brian Kemp, angegriffen, weil er nicht genug getan hat, um die Ergebnisse zu verwerfen, nachdem der Staat bei den Präsidentschaftswahlen blau geworden war.
Kemp trat am Dienstag in Atlanta bei einer Wahlnachtparty mit republikanischen Anhängern der beiden Senatskandidaten auf.
Loeffler und Perdue sind jedoch auf der Seite des Präsidenten geblieben und wollten ihn und seine Anhänger vor ihren Stichwahlen nicht verärgern.
Senatorin Kelly Loeffler
Die Republikanerin Kelly Loeffler wurde wegen der Einwände von Präsident Trump zu ihrem Sitz ernannt und verbrachte ihre Amtszeit damit, so wenig Tageslicht wie möglich zwischen sie und den Präsidenten zu bringen.
Der reichste Senator, Loeffler (50), war nie Trumps Favorit. Der Präsident bevorzugte den konservativen Loyalisten Rep. Doug Collins für die Stelle, die mit dem Rücktritt von Senator Johnny Isaakson im Jahr 2019 einherging.
Sie widersetzte sich Trumps Amtsenthebung und prahlte mit ihrem "100-prozentigen Trump-Abstimmungsrekord" auf dem Feldzug.
Aber die ehemalige Führungskraft, die das Atlanta Dream WNBA-Team mitbesitzt, machte während ihrer Amtszeit politische Stolpersteine, was sie zu einer gefährdeten Amtsinhaberin im November und dann wieder im Januar machte, selbst in einem republikanischen Staat.
Am Montagabend kündigte sie bei einer Kundgebung, bei der Trump für sie kämpfte, an, dass sie die Herausforderung für die Wahl unterstützen werde, die Trump fordert, wenn der Kongress am Mittwoch zusammentritt, um die Stimmen des Wahlkollegiums zu zählen.
Als sie mit Trump Monday bei der nächtlichen Kundgebung erschien, zeigte sie unbeholfen in die Luft und sprach nur Sekunden lang. Vor zwei Wochen, bei einer weiteren Kundgebung mit Ivanka Trump, sangen Crowd-Mitglieder über sie, während sie versuchte, den Fall für ihre eigene Wiederwahl anzukündigen.
'Kämpfe um Trump! … Hör auf zu stehlen! & # 39; Zuschauer sangen.
Nach der Ermordung von George Floyd stieß sie mit der WNBA zusammen, nachdem die Teams eine Nachricht über Black Lives Matter beworben hatten. Die Spieler antworteten in ihrem eigenen Team mit passenden 'Vote Warnock'-T-Shirts.
Sie wurde im Dezember 2019 vom Gouverneur von Georgia, Brian Kemp, ernannt, nachdem der damalige Senator Johnny Isakson angekündigt hatte, aus gesundheitlichen Gründen zurückzutreten.
Kemp war ein Verbündeter von Trump, obwohl der Präsident ihn in letzter Zeit als RINO verprügelt hat, weil er seine Bemühungen, die Wahlergebnisse in seinem Staat zu stürzen, nicht unterstützt hat.
Loeffler sieht sich als die konservativste Republikanerin im Senat und hat sich voll und ganz Trump angeschlossen – sie wirbt im Wahlkampf für ihren "100-prozentigen Trump-Abstimmungsrekord".
Vor seinem Aufstieg zum Kongress war Loeffler CEO von Bakkt, einem Unternehmen zur Umwandlung digitaler Vermögenswerte, einer Tochtergesellschaft des Finanzdienstleisters Intercontinental Exchange ihres Mannes Jeffrey Sprecher, dem die New Yorker Börse gehört. She also co-owns WNBA team the Atlanta Dream.
She faced a bitter primary against Collins, a Trump loyalist and defender in the House. She also had to stand for her first election on the ballot at a time when Georgia became a presidential battleground. Democrat Joe Biden would end up defeating Trump by 11,779 votes.
She also had to contend with accusations of insider trading even as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the nation. She and her husband traded millions worth of stocks between January and mid-February. This included stocks where the pandemic had an effect.
The Daily Beast reported on the trade, which took place after Loeffler attended a closed Jan. 24 Senate briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, in March.
Under growing pressure, she announced that she and her husband were liquidating stocks they held in individual companies.
The Justice Department closed an investigation into her stock trades, and the Senate Ethics Committee determined she did not break rules or laws. Senate rules allow members to trade stocks, but require their disclosure.
After she was forced into a runoff against Warnock, Loeffler's path was complicated by Trump's efforts to overturn the results certified in her state -including after a hand recount. She would call for the resignation of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who pushed back on Trump's unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
But she dodged questions on whether she would back Trump's election challenges when Congress meets to count the Electoral College votes.
It was only on Monday that she announced she would back Trump's effort.
Loeffler and Sprecher, 65, were married in 2004 and have no children. Their net worth is $800 million, making Loeffler the richest member of Congress, by far. The two reside in Tuxedo Park – a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia – in a $10.5 million estate.
Reverend Raphael Warnock
Baptist pastor Raphael Warnock, 51, is looking to take Senator Kelly Loeffler's Senate seat in his first run for public office. The reverend rose to prominence in Georgia politics in 2014 when he emerged a leader in the effort to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Warnock chaired the New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan organization focused on voter registration, from June 2017 to January 2020. He has also served as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia since 2005 – the same church where Marin Luther King Jr. preached alongside his father from 1959 until his death in 1968.
In 2013, Warnock delivered the benediction at the public prayer service for Barack Obama's second inauguration. As Warnock geared up for his 2020 Senate run, he hosted in March 2019 an interfaith meeting on climate change at his church, featuring Al Gore.
The reverend grew up in public housing in Savannah, Georgia as the eleventh of twelve children of two Pentecostal pastors.
From 2016 to 2020, Warnock was married to Oulèye Ndoye, with whom he shares two children. His now-ex-wife accused Warnock of running over her foot with a car while trying to get out of an argument. Body camera footage of Warnock's interview with police during the incident was made public before the runoff election.
Senator David Perdue
David Perdue, 71, first became a U.S. senator for Georgia in 2015, replacing retiring Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. This year is his first reelection campaign, and he didn't earn the 50 per cent needed to avoid a runoff. Perdue is a cousin of President Donald Trump's Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
Before seeking public office, Perdue served as senior vice president for Reebok and later joined PillowTex, a North Carolina textile company. Following that, he was CEO of Dollar General. In the list of most rich members of Congress, Perdue falls at No. 21 with a net worth of 15.8 million.
Perdue, like his Georgia colleague Kelly Loeffler, was linked to a congressional insider trading scandal in 2020 for selling stocks before the market crashed in a fallout from the coroanvirus pandemic. They both allegedly used knowledge from a closed Senate meeting to make stock decision.
Perdue resides in Sea Island, Georgia with his wife Bonnie Dunn, who he married in 1972. The couple has two sons and three grandchildren. They had a daughter who died in infancy.
Jon Ossoff
Thomas Jonathan Ossoff, who goes by Jon, is, by far, the youngest candidate in Georgia's runoff elections at just 33. To become a U.S senator, candidates must be 30 on the day of swearing in.
In 2017, Ossoff launch a bid to become a representative in the special election for Georgia's 6th congressional district. The district was long considered a Republican stronghold, but Ossoff came in first – without earning the 50 per cent to win. He ultimately lost to Republican Karen Handel in a runoff.
He interned for Representative John Lewis before spending five years as a national security staffer to Representative Hank Johnson – leaving in 2012 to earn a master's degree at the London School of Economics.
Since 2013, Ossoff has served as managing director and CEO of Insight TWI, a London-based investigative television production company creating documentaries on corruption in foreign countries.
Ossoff, who was raised Jewish, is married to Alisha Kramer, an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Emory University.
The Democratic candidates prides himself on being a child of an immigrant – his mother, Heather Fenton, is Australian – and his multimillionaire father Richard Ossoff owns a specialist publishing company.
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