Georgia Senate runoff live updates: Warnock celebrates win, Walker admits defeat
The election was the final battle of the 2022 midterms.
Georgia's Senate runoff between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker came to a close on Tuesday, with Warnock projected by ABC News to defeat Walker, after more than a year of campaigning, multiple controversies and record-breaking turnout.
While the race didn't determine control of the Senate, it did increase Democrats' power in the chamber -- where Vice President Kamala Harris currently has to break ties -- rather than see the Republicans win a 50th seat and create procedural obstacles.
Walker, a businessman and local football legend, and Warnock, a noted reverend in Atlanta, first faced off in November's general election. But neither got 50% of the vote as required by state law, leading to Tuesday's runoff after about a week of early voting.
Latest headlines:
Scenes from Election Day in Georgia
Georgia voters turned out to the polls in record numbers on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the Senate runoff election between Warnock and Walker.
ABC News has projected that Warnock will win the runoff, making him Georgia’s first Black full-term senator. He has served in the seat since 2021, when he won a runoff against GOP incumbent Kelly Loeffler.
Photos showed supporters of both campaigns gathering to watch results come in.
Filmmaker Spike Lee rallied the crowd at an election night watch party for Warnock in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Voters shattered turnout records this runoff election. Despite rainy weather in parts of the state, some 1.4 million people cast a ballot on Tuesday, according to state officials.
How Warnock will make history again
Warnock is projected to make history yet again as the senator of Georgia.
In 2021, he became the first Black senator from Georgia after winning a runoff for a partial term.
With ABC News projecting him to win the Tuesday runoff against Walker, Warnock will become the first Black senator elected to a full six-year term in the state.
Either winner of the close race would have achieved that barrier-breaking feat.
Warnock became only the second Black senator elected from the South since the Reconstruction era, when he won last year's runoff against incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
Warnock projected to defeat Walker, expanding Democrats' Senate majority
Warnock has defeated Walker in Tuesday's runoff election in Georgia, ABC News projects.
Warnock's victory means Democrats will expand their majority in the chamber to 51 seats, compared to Republicans' 49.
The Georgia runoff was the final election of the 2022 midterms.
Biden says: 'We're going to win Georgia'
As he stepped off Air Force Once on Tuesday night, President Joe Biden was asked by a reporter to comment on the election in Georgia.
"We're going to win," he replied on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, after returning from a trip to Arizona.
"We're going to win Georgia."
He then boarded his vehicle to drive back into Washington.
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson
Walker acknowledges defeat: 'We put up one heck of a fight'
Walker acknowledged defeat at his election night party on Tuesday, admitting in a speech to supporters that media outlets had projected he lost to his Democratic opponent.
"But one of the things I said … when they called the race as they didn't know much, but one of the things I want to tell all you is you never stopped dreaming," he said.
"I'm not gonna make any excuses now, because we put up one heck of a fight."
The Trump-backed Walker, who has enjoyed an accomplished football and business career and is a father and two-time husband, said his run for the Senate was the "best thing I've ever done in my whole entire life."
He continued on to deliver largely hopeful remarks, encouraging his voters to keep casting their ballots and believe in the country.
"I don't want any of you to stop believing in America. I want you to believe in America and continue to believe in the Constitution and believe in our elected officials. Most of all, continue to pray for them because all the prayers you've given me, I felt those prayers," Walker said.
"I want to thank all my team as well [as] team Herschel because they put up with a lot, and I want to thank all my donors as well because you guys, without you, I couldn't have done what I've done."
Walker noted a "tough" journey for his wife -- a possible reference to some of the personal controversies that plagued his campaign, including some accusations he denied as political smears.
"I'm going to acknowledge my wife, Julie, because she's with me and she'd been through a tough time," he began.
"But I want to say that I want to thank all of you as well, because we've had a tough journey."
Walker ended by saying he was "never gonna stop fighting."
"Because I always am a winner and we all winner, so we all winners, and that's what I want to say, well, winners, and I want to say God to the good God."