Deadlocked Walker-Warnock race goes to runoff, Georgia Sec. of State Raffensperger announces

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Wednesday afternoon the Senate race between Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker will go to a runoff.

With 98% of the vote in by noon Wednesday. Warnock had 49.4% of the vote, compared to 48.5% for Walker.

The remaining 2.1% of the vote has gone to Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver.

"I ask the voters to come out and vote one last time," Raffensperger said at a press conference in Atlanta. 

Neither Walker or Warnock could get over 50% of the vote, triggering a runoff under state law. The runoff will be held Dec. 6.

Georgia will for the second straight election cycle hold a Senate runoff election with incumbent deadlocked Wednesday, and

Warnock in his first bid for Senate, in 2020, won in a runoff, decided in January 2021, against Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler.

She was appointed to the Senate by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp in late 2019 to fill the seat left empty by the resignation of then-Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson.