ABC News projected early Wednesday that Rev. Raphael Warnock will win the race against Kelly Loeffler and on Wednesday afternoon that Jon Ossoff is projected to defeat David Perdue. Together, the two projected wins hand Democrats control of the Senate.
For live updates on the vote totals, click here.
ABC News projects that Jon Ossoff will defeat incumbent David Perdue in the Georgia Senate runoff election.
Ossoff, 33, claimed victory earlier Wednesday, before ABC News’ projection, in a video statement.
"It is with humility that I thank the people of Georgia for electing me to serve you in the United States Senate," Ossoff said. "Thank you for the confidence and trust that you have placed in me."
Combined with the previously projected win for Rev. Raphael Warnock, Ossoff's projected victory hands control of the Senate to the Democrats.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and senior staffers have been escorted out of the state Capitol building after protestors gathered near the parking deck, according to Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs.
He told ABC News that the protestors are members of a militia.
Raffensperger and his staff were walked to their cars by Capitol police, Fuchs said.
The incident occurred as pro-Trump demonstrators breached the U.S. Capitol, forcing a lockdown with members of Congress.
--ABC News’ Quinn Scanlan
Walter Jones, a spokesperson for the Georgia secretary of state’s office, shared certification deadline information with ABC News Wednesday for the runoff elections.
If Ossoff wins, and the results aren't certified until the deadlines below, then President-elect Joe Biden won't have a majority in the Senate until a few days after his inauguration.
If the results are certified and the Democrats are seated before Biden takes office, Democrats won't have a majority until he's inaugurated because they need Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote.
The deadlines are as follows.
Friday, Jan. 8: The deadline to cure rejected absentee ballots, deadline to verify provisional ballots (if voters lacked photo ID), and deadline for receiving military/overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day.
Friday, Jan. 15: The deadline for counties to certify election results (though this could happen sooner if everything is ready).
Friday, Jan. 22: The deadline for the secretary of state to certify election results (this also could happen sooner if everything is ready).
The deadline for a campaign to request a recount if the margin is less than 0.5% is two business days after the secretary certifies the election. If the secretary does this on Jan. 22, then a campaign would have until Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. to put in the request.
Georgia code says the secretary delivers the vote totals to the governor who issues a certificate of election to the winners
-ABC News’ Quinn Scanlan
Former President Barack Obama in a statement Wednesday congratulated Warnock on his historic projected win 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,” Obama wrote.
He also lauded the "resilient, visionary leadership" of Stacey Abrams and added that, “Democrats in Georgia and across the country should feel good today.”
“Georgia’s first Black senator will make the chamber more reflective of our country as a whole and open the door for a Congress that can forego gridlock for gridlock’s sake to focus instead on the many crises facing our nation -- pandemic relief for struggling families, voting rights, protecting our planet, and more,” Obama wrote.
He implored Americans to remain engaged in civic life.
“If we want to protect the gains we’ve made, achieve even more progress in the years to come, and reinforce the foundations of self-governance on which our country rests, there’s no better path to follow than the one forged by the determined, organized, and confidently hopeful people of Georgia,” Obama wrote.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
