With a narrow lead in his critical Senate race, the Rev. Raphael Warnock promised Georgia voters early Wednesday that he would work on behalf of all of them in the Senate, offering confident remarks in a video, despite the race having yet to be officially called in his favor.
“We were told that we couldn’t win this election,” said Mr. Warnock, who was leading the Republican incumbent, Kelly Loeffler, by roughly 35,000 votes with about 97 percent of the ballots already counted. “But tonight, we proved that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible.”
Mr. Warnock, the pastor at the storied Ebenezer Baptist Church, declared that he “was going to the Senate” to work for all Georgians, though the race has not been decided.
During brief remarks, he both recalled his family’s roots and cited the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
If he ultimately wins his race, Mr. Warnock would become the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from the South.
“May my story be an inspiration to some young person who is trying to grasp and grab hold of the American dream.”
“Georgia,” he added, “I am honored by the faith you have shown in me.”
Mr. Warnock’s race is occurring alongside another tight Senate contest that has yet to be called. That race, between Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff, as of early Wednesday was a virtual tie.
If Democrats manage to win both races, they will take control of the Senate, clearing the way to more easily enact President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s agenda.
