So many aspects of the Georgia Senate runoffs are either historic or unprecedented. Senate-elect Raphael Warnock is the first black man from Georgia to be elected to the Senate, and only the 11th black senator in the history of the United States Senate. At 33 years old, Senate-elect John Ossoff is the youngest United States Senator since Joe Biden was elected as Senator from Delaware in 1973. Ossoff will also be the first Jewish Senator from Georgia. All of these historic firsts coincide with Georgia voting for Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential election, the first time the state has elected a Democratic candidate in over 2 decades.
What does this mean for the Senate as a whole? Well, for the first time since 2001, the Senate is evenly split 50-50. After the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20th, the Democrats will hold the Senate majority, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker, and Senator Chuck Schumer from New York serving as the new majority leader. Alongside a Democratic majority House, things are looking up for the future of progressive legislation and the prospect of widespread Democratic leadership.