US midterm elections: Georgia run-off could decide Senate control

Control of the US Senate could once again come down to the state of Georgia, where a close race has forced a second round election.

Neither the incumbent Democrat, Raphael Warnock, or his Republican challenger Herschel Walker, won an outright majority of votes on Tuesday.

In Georgia, that requires them to advance to a contest known as a "run-off" to decide the victor.

The run-off election will be held on 6 December.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed it on Wednesday afternoon, and said his office was preparing to conduct the additional election.

At the time of his announcement, Mr Warnock had garnered 49.4% of the vote to Mr Walker's 48.5%. About 35,000 votes separated the two men.

A third party candidate, Chase Oliver, had drawn 2.1% of the vote, and will not participate in the run-off election.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Democrat and the Republican both urged their voters not to lose faith.

Mr Walker told his supporters to "hang in there". Meanwhile Mr Warnock projected confidence about winning another term in office.

"Whether it's later tonight or tomorrow, or four weeks from now, we will hear from the people of Georgia," he said.

The 6 December run-off date is earlier than usual. This is because last year, Georgia passed a measure which changed the state's law for run-offs for federal general elections. Instead of nine weeks later, they are now held four weeks after the election.

For a December run-off, early voting could begin as early as next week once it's announced.

Georgia's Republican governor, Brian Kemp, won his re-election handily, and results data and interviews across the state indicate that some Georgia voters chose a Republican in the governor's race and a Democrat in the Senate contest. Such bipartisan votes, known colloquially as "splitting the ticket", are an increasing rarity in America's polarised political climate.

In the days before the election, BBC News met voters who knew for certain they would vote for Mr Kemp, but hesitated to check a box for Mr Walker, due to negative reports about his personal life or lack of government experience.

One voter who was on the fence was Yeni Tran, 42, of Clark County. At a picnic campaign event for Mr Kemp last week, she said she was a staunch supporter of the Republican governor. But of Walker, she said, "I heard some of his speeches, and it's not the most intellectual."

"I'm really torn by this," Ms Tran said, indicating she might vote for Mr Warnock.

"Some people just vote straight ticket," Ms Tran continued. "Even though I'm Republican, I want to look at all candidates, what's best for the state. Who's gonna make the best decisions?"

Adam Smart, 49, said that he did not vote with one political party, but made decisions based on individual candidates. Enjoying a cigar and the sunset at a restaurant in the town of Smyrna, Mr Smart said he was going to vote for Mr Kemp because he believed the governor was good for small businesses. But he had decided against Mr Walker.

"He's out of his league a little bit," he said of Mr Walker. Mr Warnock, he believed, was more experienced.

Democrats currently control the US Senate thanks in large part to Mr Warnock, whose victory in a 2021 special election helped them secure the chamber and gave President Joe Biden's party power over both chambers of Congress.

Depending on the outcome of a handful of remaining races, Georgia could once again determine which party controls the US Senate in 2023.

Mr Warnock, a pastor at a historic church in Atlanta, now seeks a full six-year term to the Senate.

Democratic control of Congress allowed Mr Biden to pass major agenda items, including a nearly two trillion-dollar pandemic stimulus package and a sweeping climate change bill. Mr Biden's ability to accomplish major legislative goals could be threatened if Republicans take control of the US Senate and US House of Representatives.

Republicans, eager to find a high profile candidate to help take back the US Senate, enlisted Mr Walker, a legendary former football player from Georgia. But a string of negative allegations about his personal conduct, including domestic abuse and reports the anti-abortion candidate paid for two girlfriends' procedures, potentially dampened his appeal to traditional conservatives.

Jennifer Almond, 48, opposed abortion and supported Mr Kemp. But she gave a lengthy pause when asked if she'd vote for Mr Walker. She was put off by allegations from his ex-wife that he'd once threatened her with a gun.

"I had heard briefly about the stuff going on with his ex-wife," she said. "And that kind of bothers me."

Georgians will now have four more weeks to mull who to send to Washington on their behalf.

If US Senate control does ultimately come down to Georgia, it remains to be seen whether voters who lean Republican, or were on the fence about Mr Walker, will return to the fold to deny Mr Biden's party power in Washington.