Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will face Republican football legend Herschel Walker for a coveted Senate seat in Georgia after both handily defeated primary challengers on Tuesday to set up a historic, high-stakes showdown.Walker, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, defeated five GOP challengers in his race, clearing the 50% mark needed to avoid a runoff. Warnock easily defeated beauty industry professional Tamara Johnson-Shealey.The general election matchup between Warnock and Walker marks the first time that two major party candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia are Black.The contest — expected to be heated — will test whether Democratic gains in Georgia in 2020 were a blip or the start of a political realignment in a rapidly changing state. Joe Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state in 28 years and just two months later, Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff flipped two longtime Republican Senate seats, handing their party a narrow majority in the Senate.Republicans looking to regain control of the Senate have targeted the Georgia seat. Warnock's campaign Tuesday quickly put out a news release attacking the Republican nominee."In a short time, Reverend Raphael Warnock has built a clear, extensive record of fighting for all Georgians in the U.S. Senate," Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks said in a statement. "He presents a clear choice for voters this fall and a distinct contrast with Republican nominee Herschel Walker, whose pattern of lies, exaggerations and outright bizarre claims reveal he is not up for the job of serving Georgians in the U.S. Senate."Walker has dramatically inflated his record as a businessman and falsely said he graduated at the top of his class from the University of Georgia. He didn't graduate, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported. He has also made multiple gaffes on the campaign trail.A representative for Walker's campaign, Mallory Blount, did not immediately respond to an email and text seeking comment. Walker is a former college football celebrity. Warnock is the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. He became the first Black senator elected from Georgia when he defeated appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in 2021.As a senator, Warnock has derided Republicans' push for tighter voting rules, calling them "Jim Crow in new clothes;" stressed his work in bringing home funding for health care, national security research and other projects; and highlighted his efforts to try to cap the cost of insulin and temporarily suspend the federal gasoline tax. Walker — a political newcomer — has nearly unmatched name recognition in Georgia from his days as a college football running back. He led the University of Georgia football team to a national title during the 1980 season and won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. He counts Trump as a close friend.The Trump endorsement was the chief reason Pam Leonard said she voted for Walker. But the 71-year-old said Tuesday outside of a polling place in Woodstock that she remembers those football days, too."I know his story," Leonard said. "Especially when he was a child, he was bullied and he built himself up by running against trains. That takes a lot of gumption."But some of his Republican opponents had questioned Walker's electability. Walker has a history of violence against women and also skipped the primary debates. He has been open about his long struggle with mental illness and acknowledged violent urges.Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black made the sharpest attacks on Walker, saying he couldn't win in November because of domestic violence allegations and other past problems. Former Trump administration official and Navy veteran Latham Saddler had questioned Walker's preparation for a potential debate with Warnock.In a statement Tuesday, Black said he hopes Walker "does right, but he has not earned my vote."The other GOP primary candidates were: retired brigadier general Jon McColumn; contractor and Air Force veteran Kelvin King and former state Rep. Josh Clark.David Butler didn't vote for Walker."I think he's probably going to get the nomination, but I don't think he deserves it," Butler said before the race was called. "I think he's getting it because of his name, because he played football at Georgia."___Associated Press writer Jeff Martin in Woodstock, Georgia, contributed to this report.

ATLANTA —

Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will face Republican football legend Herschel Walker for a coveted Senate seat in Georgia after both handily defeated primary challengers on Tuesday to set up a historic, high-stakes showdown.

Walker, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, defeated five GOP challengers in his race, clearing the 50% mark needed to avoid a runoff. Warnock easily defeated beauty industry professional Tamara Johnson-Shealey.

The general election matchup between Warnock and Walker marks the first time that two major party candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia are Black.

Anna Moneymaker

Megan Varner

The contest — expected to be heated — will test whether Democratic gains in Georgia in 2020 were a blip or the start of a political realignment in a rapidly changing state. Joe Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state in 28 years and just two months later, Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff flipped two longtime Republican Senate seats, handing their party a narrow majority in the Senate.

Republicans looking to regain control of the Senate have targeted the Georgia seat.

Warnock's campaign Tuesday quickly put out a news release attacking the Republican nominee.

"In a short time, Reverend Raphael Warnock has built a clear, extensive record of fighting for all Georgians in the U.S. Senate," Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks said in a statement. "He presents a clear choice for voters this fall and a distinct contrast with Republican nominee Herschel Walker, whose pattern of lies, exaggerations and outright bizarre claims reveal he is not up for the job of serving Georgians in the U.S. Senate."

Walker has dramatically inflated his record as a businessman and falsely said he graduated at the top of his class from the University of Georgia. He didn't graduate, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported. He has also made multiple gaffes on the campaign trail.

A representative for Walker's campaign, Mallory Blount, did not immediately respond to an email and text seeking comment.

Walker is a former college football celebrity. Warnock is the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. He became the first Black senator elected from Georgia when he defeated appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in 2021.

As a senator, Warnock has derided Republicans' push for tighter voting rules, calling them "Jim Crow in new clothes;" stressed his work in bringing home funding for health care, national security research and other projects; and highlighted his efforts to try to cap the cost of insulin and temporarily suspend the federal gasoline tax.

Walker — a political newcomer — has nearly unmatched name recognition in Georgia from his days as a college football running back. He led the University of Georgia football team to a national title during the 1980 season and won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. He counts Trump as a close friend.

The Trump endorsement was the chief reason Pam Leonard said she voted for Walker. But the 71-year-old said Tuesday outside of a polling place in Woodstock that she remembers those football days, too.

"I know his story," Leonard said. "Especially when he was a child, he was bullied and he built himself up by running against trains. That takes a lot of gumption."

But some of his Republican opponents had questioned Walker's electability. Walker has a history of violence against women and also skipped the primary debates. He has been open about his long struggle with mental illness and acknowledged violent urges.

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black made the sharpest attacks on Walker, saying he couldn't win in November because of domestic violence allegations and other past problems.

Former Trump administration official and Navy veteran Latham Saddler had questioned Walker's preparation for a potential debate with Warnock.

In a statement Tuesday, Black said he hopes Walker "does right, but he has not earned my vote."

The other GOP primary candidates were: retired brigadier general Jon McColumn; contractor and Air Force veteran Kelvin King and former state Rep. Josh Clark.

David Butler didn't vote for Walker.

"I think he's probably going to get the nomination, but I don't think he deserves it," Butler said before the race was called. "I think he's getting it because of his name, because he played football at Georgia."

___

Associated Press writer Jeff Martin in Woodstock, Georgia, contributed to this report.

Polls began to close Tuesday night in the country's final Senate contest, as Georgia voters await a winner in the runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican football legend Herschel Walker.The contest will determine whether Democrats gain an outright 51-49 Senate majority or retain their bare control of a 50-50 chamber based on Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote. Last year, runoff victories by Warnock and fellow Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff gave the party that razor-thin edge.Click here to see election results from sister station WJCL.In the November election, Warnock led Walker by about 37,000 votes out of almost 4 million but fell shy of a majority, triggering the second round of voting. About 1.9 million runoff votes already had been cast by mail and during early voting, an advantage for Democrats whose voters more commonly cast ballots this way. Republicans typically fare better on Election Day itself.The extended campaign became a bitter fight between two Black men in a major Southern state: Warnock, the state’s first Black senator and the senior minister of the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, and Walker, a former University of Georgia football star and political novice backed by former President Donald Trump.A Warnock victory would solidify Georgia’s status as a battleground heading into the 2024 presidential election. A win for Walker, however, could be an indication of Democratic weakness, especially given that Georgia Republicans swept every other statewide contest last month.Walker awaited results Tuesday night at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta, while Warnock was at a hotel less than a mile away.Video above: What to watch in Tuesday's Georgia Senate runoffLast month, Walker, 60, ran more than 200,000 votes behind Republican Gov. Brian Kemp after a campaign dogged by his meandering campaign speeches and by damaging allegations, including claims that he paid for two former girlfriends’ abortions — accusations that he denied.Voting went smoothly Tuesday, despite some cold, rainy conditions in some parts early in the day. Stephanie Jackson Ali, policy director for the progressive New Georgia Project Action Fund, said the group had seen few issues around the state, with lines advancing and equipment issues being addressed promptly.Voting Tuesday in Atlanta, Tom Callaway praised the Republican Party's strength in Georgia and said he’d supported Kemp in the opening round of voting. But he cast his ballot for Warnock because he didn't think “Herschel Walker has the credentials to be a senator.”“I didn’t believe he had a statement of what he really believed in or had a campaign that made sense,” Callaway said.Warnock, whose 2021 victory was in a special election to serve out the remainder of GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson's term, said he believed he had convinced enough voters, including independents and moderate Republicans, that he deserved a full term.“They know this race is about competence and character,” Warnock said. Walker, too, predicted victory and likened the contest to his leading Georgia to the 1980 national championship: “I love winning championships.”Video above: Raphael Warnock prepares for Georgia Senate runoff watch partyTotal spending on the seat this cycle approached $400 million by Tuesday, a staggering figure even for such a populous state with an expensive major media market like Atlanta.For months, the senator focused on his work in the Senate and his status as senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. However, beginning with the closing stretch before the Nov. 8 general election, he added withering takedowns of Walker, using the football star’s rocky past to argue that the political newcomer was “not fit” for high office.Walker countered by seeking to portray Warnock as too beholden to President Joe Biden. He even accused Warnock of “being on his knees, begging” at the White House, a searing charge for a Black challenger to level against a Black senator about his relationship with a white president.Video above: Herschel Walker prepares for Georgia Senate runoff watch partyA multimillionaire businessman, Walker has inflated his philanthropic activities and business achievements, including claiming that his company employed hundreds of people and grossed tens of millions of dollars in sales annually, even though records indicate he had eight employees and averaged about $1.5 million a year. He has suggested that he’s worked as a law enforcement officer and graduated college, though he has done neither.Walker was also forced to acknowledge during the campaign that he had fathered three children out of wedlock whom he had never before spoken about publicly — in conflict with his yearslong criticism of absentee fathers and his calls for Black men, in particular, to play an active role in their kids’ lives.His ex-wife said Walker once held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. He has never denied those specifics and wrote of his violent tendencies in a 2008 memoir that attributed the behavior to mental illness.Warnock promoted his Senate accomplishments, touting a provision he sponsored to cap insulin costs for Medicare patients. He hailed deals on infrastructure and maternal health care forged with Republican senators, mentioning those GOP colleagues more than he did Biden or other Washington Democrats.After the general election, Biden, who has struggled with low approval ratings, promised to help Warnock in any way he could, even if it meant staying away from Georgia. Warnock campaigned instead with former President Barack Obama.Wary of possible backlash, Walker avoided campaigning with Trump until the campaign’s final day, when the pair conducted a conference call Monday with supporters.Walker’s candidacy was the GOP’s last chance to flip a Senate seat this year. Mehmet Oz of Pennsylvania, Blake Masters of Arizona, Adam Laxalt of Nevada and Don Bolduc of New Hampshire, all Trump loyalists, lost competitive Senate races that Republicans considered part of their path to a majority.Walker separated himself from Trump in one notable way. Trump has spent two years falsely claiming that his loss in Georgia and nationally was fraudulent, despite being rebuked by numerous federal and local officials and a long list of courts.At his lone debate against Warnock in October, Walker was asked whether he’d accept the results even if he lost. He replied with one word: “Yes.”___Associated Press Writer Ron Harris contributed to this report.

Georgia's secretary of state certified the results of the two U.S. Senate runoff elections Tuesday, paving the way for Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to be sworn in and for Democrats to take control of the chamber.They'll take office just as the Senate considers whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial for inciting the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol and as President-elect Joe Biden seeks to jump-start his agenda after inauguration. The two men are set to be sworn in to office Wednesday afternoon shortly after Biden's inauguration, according to news releases issued by each. The certification by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger officially seals Warnock and Ossoff's victories over their Republican opponents in the Jan. 5 runoffs. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, both incumbents, conceded days after the election. Shortly after certification by Raffensperger, Gov. Brian Kemp signed off on their certificates of election.Official results from the secretary of state show Warnock beating Loeffler by about 93,000 votes out of nearly 4.5 million cast, or about 2%, while Ossoff beat Perdue by about 55,000 votes, or 1.2%. Both margins are larger than the .5% required to ask for a recount under Georgia law.Once Warnock and Ossoff are sworn in, there will be a 50-50 partisan divide in the Senate, giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote.Warnock will be the first African American senator from Georgia, while Ossoff will be the state's first Jewish senator and the Senate's youngest sitting member. Their wins bookend a divisive and drawn-out election cycle that brought seismic shifts to Georgia politics and made the once reliably red state a key battleground.Biden in November became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992, while Warnock and Ossoff are the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000.During their nationally watched overtime races, Warnock and Ossoff benefited from Trump's continued false attacks on Georgia's election results, which contributed to lower GOP turnout, as well as intense mobilization efforts by Democratic organizers. Perdue, who served one term after being elected in 2014, and Loeffler, who took office last year after being appointed to replace retiring Sen. Johnny Isakson, were among Trump's closest allies in the Senate. The Democrats, who essentially ran as a team during the runoffs, head to Washington at a time of tumult but also opportunity for their party.In addition to considering whether to convict Trump in the impeachment trial, the Senate will also begin considering confirmation of Biden appointments and early legislative proposals from the new administration. Biden recently unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan that aims to administer 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration and deliver another round of economic aid.Loeffler gave a farewell speech from the Senate floor Tuesday, where she thanked her supporters and wished Warnock well. She also took parting shots at her detractors, slamming what she called "cancel culture" and news media coverage of her campaign.Perdue's term ended Jan. 3, while Loeffler remains in the Senate until Warnock is sworn in because she was appointed to fill Isakson's unexpired term.

ATLANTA —

Georgia's secretary of state certified the results of the two U.S. Senate runoff elections Tuesday, paving the way for Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to be sworn in and for Democrats to take control of the chamber.

They'll take office just as the Senate considers whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial for inciting the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol and as President-elect Joe Biden seeks to jump-start his agenda after inauguration.

The two men are set to be sworn in to office Wednesday afternoon shortly after Biden's inauguration, according to news releases issued by each.

The certification by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger officially seals Warnock and Ossoff's victories over their Republican opponents in the Jan. 5 runoffs. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, both incumbents, conceded days after the election. Shortly after certification by Raffensperger, Gov. Brian Kemp signed off on their certificates of election.

Official results from the secretary of state show Warnock beating Loeffler by about 93,000 votes out of nearly 4.5 million cast, or about 2%, while Ossoff beat Perdue by about 55,000 votes, or 1.2%. Both margins are larger than the .5% required to ask for a recount under Georgia law.

Once Warnock and Ossoff are sworn in, there will be a 50-50 partisan divide in the Senate, giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote.

Warnock will be the first African American senator from Georgia, while Ossoff will be the state's first Jewish senator and the Senate's youngest sitting member. Their wins bookend a divisive and drawn-out election cycle that brought seismic shifts to Georgia politics and made the once reliably red state a key battleground.

Carolyn Kaster / AP Photo

Biden in November became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992, while Warnock and Ossoff are the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000.

During their nationally watched overtime races, Warnock and Ossoff benefited from Trump's continued false attacks on Georgia's election results, which contributed to lower GOP turnout, as well as intense mobilization efforts by Democratic organizers.

Perdue, who served one term after being elected in 2014, and Loeffler, who took office last year after being appointed to replace retiring Sen. Johnny Isakson, were among Trump's closest allies in the Senate.

The Democrats, who essentially ran as a team during the runoffs, head to Washington at a time of tumult but also opportunity for their party.

In addition to considering whether to convict Trump in the impeachment trial, the Senate will also begin considering confirmation of Biden appointments and early legislative proposals from the new administration. Biden recently unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan that aims to administer 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration and deliver another round of economic aid.

Loeffler gave a farewell speech from the Senate floor Tuesday, where she thanked her supporters and wished Warnock well. She also took parting shots at her detractors, slamming what she called "cancel culture" and news media coverage of her campaign.

Perdue's term ended Jan. 3, while Loeffler remains in the Senate until Warnock is sworn in because she was appointed to fill Isakson's unexpired term.