After the Senate races in Arizona and Nevada were called over the weekend—meaning, of course, that Democrats would retain control of the Senate—some very foolish commentators began to suggest that Democrats “don’t need” to win next month’s Senate runoff in Georgia. That, to borrow a phrase, is utter malarkey.
The list of reasons why we need to re-elect Sen. Raphael Warnock is not only lengthy, each one would be powerful motivation on its own without all the others. But collectively, they make an unassailable case for why we need to keep busting our asses every minute of every day from now until the polls close on Dec. 6. Let’s take it from the top.
Can you donate $10 or $20 to make sure Raphael Warnock wins his runoff against the odious Herschel Walker?
1) Having 51 seats is a million times better than 50. First off, a larger majority reduces the influence that Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have over the Democratic caucus. That alone is a showstopper. But it also means that Democrats would have more flexibility in the event of any absences—a real concern, given the age of many senators. On top of that, Kamala Harris would no longer have to be on standby to break ties.
2) Judicial nominations would move much faster. Under the deal reached between Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell last year—which McConnell dragged his feet on agreeing to—both parties were given equal numbers of seats on Senate committees. As a result, committee votes can end in ties. Most crucially, this has allowed Republicans on the Judiciary Committee to slow down judicial nominations because moving a tied nomination to the Senate floor requires the entire Senate to vote on a so-called “discharge motion.” With 51 seats, however, Democrats would have a majority on every committee. They’d be able to skip the discharge step, meaning Joe Biden’s nominees can receive confirmation votes before the full Senate much more rapidly.
3) Raphael Warnock is an amazing senator. The fact that Warnock was able to turn Georgia blue and, along with Jon Ossoff, secure the most unlikely of majorities for us in the 2021 runoffs is a testament to his remarkable connection with Georgia voters. In office, Warnock’s priorities have always been in the right place. It would be easy for a freshman senator in a swing state to want to “distance” himself from his party, but Warnock has been with us on everything. He’s also been Democrats’ foremost leader in the fight to cap the price of insulin.
4) Black representation matters, period. Warnock is one of just two Black Democrats in the Senate, but this is about so much more. Do Democrats really want to tell Black Americans—the party’s most loyal constituency—that we didn’t give it our all to re-elect Warnock? And it’s not simply a matter of electing a Black candidate, as Republicans reductively want to believe, but about electing the candidate who’s the choice of Black voters. That choice couldn’t be clearer: According to exit polls, 90% of Black Georgians cast ballots for Warnock.
5) Herschel Walker is unfit to serve in the Senate. Walker is a dangerous serial liar who has been accused of abusive, violent behavior by those closest to him. He belongs nowhere near Congress.
6) The 2024 Senate map is very tough for Democrats. We need to pad our majority right now because in two years, we’re going to be defending 23 seats while Republicans will only have to protect 10. What’s more, our list includes three red states—Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia—and 10 more potential swing states. To ensure our party’s long-term prospects, we’ve got to focus on the present.
There are many more reasons this race matters, and I encourage you to add your own in comments. But these should be more than enough to convince any waverers that there can be no letting up. And we have to do our part.
Please donate $10—or even $100, if you can—to ensure that Raphael Warnock wins a full six-year term on Dec. 6!
