ATLANTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The race between incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock (D) and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker is too close to call and will head to a runoff election.
With 100% of the precincts reporting, neither candidate made nor surpassed the votes needed to clinch the election, both having hovered around 48% and 49% for several hours into Wednesday morning.
Georgia requires a majority to win statewide office, and with incomplete returns showing a close race and a third-party candidate on the ballot, it was possible that neither Warnock nor Walker would surpass the 50% threshold.
Warnock finished with 49.41% of the vote (1,941,275 votes), while Walker finished with 48.52% of the vote (1,906,192 votes). Libertarian Chase Oliver only received 2.07% of the vote or 81,173 votes.
At his election night watch party, Walker spoke to a crowd of supporters and said, “I’m like Ricky Bobby, I don’t come to lose.” Earlier in the day Tuesday, Warnock addressed his supporters, saying “Georgia, I see you. And I’m ready to serve you for 6 more years.”
The runoff election is scheduled for December 6, 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.