Raphael Warnock

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Raphael Warnock
Image of Raphael Warnock

Candidate, U.S. Senate Georgia

U.S. Senate Georgia
Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

3

Predecessor

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments
Last elected

December 6, 2022

Next election

November 7, 2028

Education

Bachelor's

Morehouse College, 1991

Graduate

Union Theological Seminary

Ph.D

Union Theological Seminary

Personal
Religion
Baptist
Profession
Pastor
Contact

Raphael Warnock (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Georgia. He assumed office on January 20, 2021. His current term ends on January 3, 2029.

Warnock (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Georgia. He declared candidacy for the 2028 election.[source]

Warnock has served as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta since 2005. He also chaired the New Georgia Project, a voter registration group Stacey Abrams (D) founded, from 2017 to 2020.

Biography

Raphael Warnock earned a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College in 1991 and a master's degree in divinity, master's degree in philosophy, and Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary.[1] Warnock's career experience includes working as the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, the senior pastor of Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and an assistant pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.[2] He served as the chairman of the board of directors of the New Georgia Project.[3][4]

Elections

2028

See also: United States Senate election in Georgia, 2028

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated. Before the candidate filing deadline passes, Ballotpedia will separate these candidates into their respective primaries as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 7, 2028.

General election for U.S. Senate Georgia

Incumbent Raphael Warnock is running in the general election for U.S. Senate Georgia on November 7, 2028.

Candidate
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Raphael_Warnock.jpg
Raphael Warnock (D)

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Endorsements

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2022

See also: United States Senate election in Georgia, 2022

General runoff election

General runoff election for U.S. Senate Georgia

Incumbent Raphael Warnock defeated Herschel Walker in the general runoff election for U.S. Senate Georgia on December 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Raphael_Warnock.jpg
Raphael Warnock (D)
 
51.4
 
1,820,633
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Herschel_Walker.png
Herschel Walker (R)
 
48.6
 
1,721,244

Total votes: 3,541,877
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for U.S. Senate Georgia

Incumbent Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker advanced to a runoff. They defeated Chase Oliver in the general election for U.S. Senate Georgia on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Raphael_Warnock.jpg
Raphael Warnock (D)
 
49.4
 
1,946,117
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Herschel_Walker.png
Herschel Walker (R)
 
48.5
 
1,908,442
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/ChaseOliver.jpg
Chase Oliver (L)
 
2.1
 
81,365

Total votes: 3,935,924
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Georgia

Incumbent Raphael Warnock defeated Tamara Johnson-Shealey in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Georgia on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Raphael_Warnock.jpg
Raphael Warnock
 
96.0
 
702,610
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/tjs.jpg
Tamara Johnson-Shealey
 
4.0
 
28,984

Total votes: 731,594
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Georgia

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Georgia on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Herschel_Walker.png
Herschel Walker
 
68.2
 
803,560
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Commissioner-Black.jpg
Gary Black
 
13.4
 
157,370
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/LathamSaddler.jpeg
Latham Saddler Candidate Connection
 
8.9
 
104,471
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/256763964_423046112753759_3202318842361537918_n.jpg
Josh Clark Candidate Connection
 
4.0
 
46,693
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/kking.jpeg
Kelvin King
 
3.2
 
37,930
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/JonathanMcColumn.jpeg
Jonathan McColumn
 
2.4
 
28,601

Total votes: 1,178,625
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

See also: United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 (Loeffler vs. Warnock runoff)

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for U.S. Senate Georgia

Raphael Warnock defeated incumbent Kelly Loeffler in the special general runoff election for U.S. Senate Georgia on January 5, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Raphael_Warnock.jpg
Raphael Warnock (D)
 
51.0
 
2,289,113
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/0__3__fixed.jpg
Kelly Loeffler (R)
 
49.0
 
2,195,841

Total votes: 4,484,954
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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General election

Special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia

The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. Senate Georgia on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Raphael_Warnock.jpg
Raphael Warnock (D)
 
32.9
 
1,617,035
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/0__3__fixed.jpg
Kelly Loeffler (R)
 
25.9
 
1,273,214
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Doug-Collins.jpg
Doug Collins (R)
 
20.0
 
980,454
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sep82020950AM_80182230_DeborahJacksonHeadShot1.jpg
Deborah Jackson (D) Candidate Connection
 
6.6
 
324,118
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MattLieberman-min.PNG
Matt Lieberman (D) Candidate Connection
 
2.8
 
136,021
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/tjs.jpg
Tamara Johnson-Shealey (D)
 
2.2
 
106,767
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Jamesia James (D)
 
1.9
 
94,406
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/DerrickGrayson1.jpg
Derrick Grayson (R)
 
1.0
 
51,592
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Joy Felicia Slade (D)
 
0.9
 
44,945
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Annette_Davis_Jackson.jpg
Annette Davis Jackson (R)
 
0.9
 
44,335
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/KandissTaylor.jpg
Kandiss Taylor (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
40,349
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/A-Wayne-Johnson.PNG
A. Wayne Johnson (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.7
 
36,176
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Brian-Slowinski.jpg
Brian Slowinski (L)
 
0.7
 
35,431
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/fullsizeoutput_1205.jpeg
Richard Dien Winfield (D) Candidate Connection
 
0.6
 
28,687
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/EdTarver.jpg
Ed Tarver (D) Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
26,333
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Allen_Buckley.jpg
Allen Buckley (Independent)
 
0.4
 
17,954
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/John_Fortuin.jpg
John Fortuin (G)
 
0.3
 
15,293
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/EB.jpg
Elbert Bartell (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
14,640
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Valencia-Stovall.jpg
Valencia Stovall (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
13,318
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MichaelToddGreene.jpg
Michael Todd Greene (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
13,293
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/RodMack.png
Rod Mack (Independent) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
7

Total votes: 4,914,368
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2028

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Raphael Warnock has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2028 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Raphael Warnock asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Raphael Warnock, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2028 Candidate Connection survey.

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You can ask Raphael Warnock to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@warnockforgeorgia.com.

Twitter

Email


2022

Raphael Warnock did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign advertisements

June 8, 2022
May 24, 2022
May 12, 2022

View more ads here:

2020

Raphael Warnock did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Warnock's campaign website stated the following:

Agriculture: Protecting And Growing Georgia’s Farm Economy

Our state’s economy relies on farmers and agriculture. As one of the nation’s leading producers in everything from chickens to peanuts to blueberries and our world famous peaches, we need leaders who understand the importance and difficulty of the work farmers do and will fight on their behalf in Washington.

As Senator, Reverend Warnock will defend farmers and work to grow our state’s agriculture economy. He believes that we need consistent policies that accommodate the uncertainty our farmers have to deal with and the diversity of our state’s products. He also understands the importance of a coherent policy on trade and tariffs that will keep markets open to our farmers.

Reverend Warnock is also a proponent of equity. As one of the most diverse states in the nation, Georgia is home to a significant number of African-American farmers, critical to the agricultural economy. He believes that we should level the playing field for Black and minority farmers by expanding access to capital for equipment and financial resources and ending discriminatory policies at the federal level that limit opportunities.

Many Georgia farms are small businesses that benefit not only our state, but the entire country. Reverend Warnock appreciates the diversity and abundance that these farms provide, and will work to grow their role in our economy.

In the Senate, Reverend Warnock will:

  • Defend the critical role agriculture plays in the economy;
  • Ensure that farmers have a seat at the table and an economic incentive as we address climate change;
  • Expand our access to markets for Georgia grown products;
  • Increase assistance from USDA, FEMA and other agencies tasked with protecting workers and producers devastated by natural disasters and other threats;
  • Push for resources that help our farmers adopt more sustainable and regenerative practices;
  • Ensure that the Department of Agriculture pursues policies to increase protections and expand access to resources to small family farms, Black, and minority farmers; and
  • Fight trade policies that harm Georgia farmers.

Climate: Stewardship Of Our Children’s Planet

The flooding and extreme weather we have seen in coastal Georgia and across the South are sobering reminders of how devastating climate change can be in our daily lives, especially in underserved and rural communities. Rising sea-levels and more intense storms have done untold damage to the livelihoods of Georgians, like those in Reverend Warnock’s hometown of Savannah. Our state urgently needs leaders who will accept the science, invest in infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis that is already at our door.

Reverend Warnock has focused on the work of environmental justice throughout his time at Ebenezer Baptist Church, helping organize and lead a public interfaith mass meeting on climate change with the Reverend William Barber II and Vice President Al Gore. He is proud to have the endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters and is committed to fighting climate change and environmental racism in the U.S. Senate.

His emphasis on climate justice is guided by his faith and his understanding that “the Earth is the Lord’s.” He believes that we must be stewards of the earth our children will inherit, and that we all should have the right to clean air and water. He also understands that our harm to the planet often causes those who can least afford it to experience the most tragic consequences, often communities of color and lower income populations.

Understanding the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities, Reverend Warnock’s view of environmental justice doesn’t just focus on addressing long term challenges, but everyday problems. That means addressing the lack of access to clean water and air in many impoverished communities and the higher share of income many Black and brown households pay in energy bills, often as a result of limited cost saving tools like alternative energy sources. He also believes in working toward a clean economy that will create jobs, reduce pollution, and produce a world that our children can inherit.

Clean energy has become one of the fastest growing sources of new jobs in America. As the global green energy economy develops, Reverend Warnock will work hard to ensure that no working Georgians are left behind in our transition to sustainable energy. And he will push to ensure that those that overwhelmingly bear the brunt of intensifying climate change are prioritized in access to training and education to partake in profits.

Reverend Warnock believes that solutions to climate change are moral issues and that we can act on the consensus that already exists among Americans by ignoring Washington special interests and putting effective, common sense policies in place. Starting with rejoining the Paris Climate Accords and restoring America’s place as a leader in the fight for climate justice we can achieve this. As a Senator, he will advocate for the United States to:

  • Rejoin the Paris Climate Accords and build upon the international commitment to fighting climate change;
  • Work to reverse the Trump Administration’s attack on the Environmental Protection Agency and standards for clean air and water;
  • Prepare Georgia’s coastline for rising sea-levels with investments in green infrastructure, structural reinforcement and climate science;
  • Push for investment in resources, infrastructure, and education in communities of color to benefit in energy cost savings;
  • Advocate for marginalized people to receive training and education to participate in the green new economy and jobs;
  • Set goals for carbon reduction and robust climate standards for newly manufactured cars and infrastructure;
  • Encourage investment in clean energy and commit to transitioning to a clean economy by 2050; and
  • Hold polluters and utility companies accountable.

Criminal Justice Reform: Ending Mass Incarceration And Giving Everyone A Fair Shot

Reverend Warnock believes that in the Land of the Free, it is a scandal and a scar on the soul of America to imprison more people at a higher rate than any other country in the world. With our country containing only 5 percent of the world’s population while warehousing nearly 25 percent of the world’s prisoners, real and immediate change is needed.

The prison population of America is fed by a system that criminalizes poverty, imperils the bodies of its most vulnerable citizens, and incarcerates people of color at disproportionate levels. Reverend Warnock sees this issue as a spiritual problem, with the soul of America itself endangered by mass incarceration. Only by living up to the twin American promises of liberty for all and equal protection under the law can our nation begin to heal.

Reverend Warnock also believes that it is morally wrong and economically backward to close the doors of social re-entry on the formerly incarcerated. That’s why he has worked with Fulton County officials to expunge arrest records for those arrested but not convicted of a crime. He understands that arrests, even for minor infractions, can devastate generations of Georgians when parents and children are stripped of their potential for upward social mobility. Reverend Warnock believes that people who have paid their debt to society in prison can continue to make contributions to their communities after they have served their time.

In his ministry, Reverend Warnock has spoken about the dangers of mandatory minimums, the lack of effective rehabilitative programs, and the thousands of Georgians who are in jail, not because they have been convicted of a crime or are a danger to society, but because they can’t afford bail. And as someone whose own family has faced the pain of seeing a loved one incarcerated, Reverend Warnock understands that behind each statistic is a family broken by a failed justice system. As a Senator, he will fight to move the nation toward justice and away from the harmful, ineffective, and costly policies that have devastated so many Georgia families.

Reverend Warnock also believes we need to responsibly fund the police while reimagining the relationship between police departments and the communities that they serve. In order to ensure accountability and build trust, he understands that we need to invest resources into the training of police officers and into building genuine bonds of community rather than sowing the seeds of distrust. For this relationship, it’s equally critical for communities to trust that the justice system is designed to support them, which is why Reverend Warnock also supports appointing independent prosecutors to handle police-involved shootings.

Through his work at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Reverend Warnock has advocated for criminal justice reform measures that make sense for Georgia. And in the wake of nation-wide protests in response to police brutality, Reverend Warnock has joined the chorus of leaders pushing for accountability and equal protection under the law. It was with that same spirit in 2019 that Reverend Warnock hosted a multifaith, multicultural initiative to end mass incarceration, galvanizing faith leaders on issues like bail reform and hosting a mass record expungement event.

In the Senate, Warnock will work to:

  • Responsibly fund police departments while increasing accountability and ensuring our communities can support critical services outside of the criminal justice system;
  • Reduce senseless gun violence;
  • Reform the bail system and end mass incarceration;
  • End the use of privatized prisons; and
  • Ensure returning citizens can reenter society with access to adequate resources and support.

Education: Rebuilding The Ladder Of Opportunity For All Our Kids

Reverend Warnock believes that your access to a good K-12 education shouldn’t depend on your zip code and that the cost of higher education should never be an obstacle to opportunity.

Reverend Warnock went to Morehouse College on what he calls a “full faith” scholarship – not knowing how he would pay for school, but believing that grit and determination could help him follow his dreams. With the help of a Pell Grant and low-interest student loans, he became the first person to graduate from college in his immediate family, and he knows from experience that education can be a ladder of upward mobility. But Reverend Warnock also understands that grit and determination alone aren’t enough, especially in the face of the hardship and debt that so many students face. And he knows that today, things are harder than ever for kids like him trying to climb upward.

Reverend Warnock believes that we need to invest in every rung of the ladder. Reverend Warnock supports robust Pre-K programs that will ensure every child gets a fair start, to nutritional programs that nourish students to learn, and to ensure that our children are getting the best education, he believes we need to invest in teachers and schools so that they have the resources they need. He also supports reducing higher education costs and supporting student loan and forgiveness programs that will make four-year degrees a possibility for anyone who wants to attend college.

But Reverend Warnock also understands that that college isn’t for everyone and that we should be providing more options for people to make a good living for themselves and their families that don’t require college degrees. That’s why he’s a strong believer in offering more opportunities like vocational training, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs that will get young people ready for a changing economy.

By giving every child access to an affordable and quality education, we can rebuild the ladder of opportunity and make the American Dream a possibility for all. In the Senate, Reverend Warnock will work to:

  • Improve quality of elementary and secondary education;
  • Invest in and expand robust Pre-K education;
  • Strengthen nutritional programs in schools;
  • Fully fund Pell grants;
  • Reduce higher education costs, ease student debt, and back forgiveness programs;
  • Support vocational, trade, and apprenticeship education; and
  • Fight for teacher pay and resources for schools

Health Care: The Right To Access Affordable, Quality Care

Reverend Warnock’s belief in affordable health care comes from his understanding of the dignity of human beings and his confidence that courageous, principled leaders can stand up to special interests and make our health care system work better for all. That’s why he’s rejecting corporate PAC money, because he knows that for too long the insurance and pharmaceutical companies have had their say in Washington.

In fact, Reverend Warnock is such a fierce health care advocate, he’s proud of his legacy protesting in Governor Nathan Deal’s office for Medicaid expansion, and in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol fighting back against an immoral budget that would have cut funding for children’s health care.

Click here to learn more about Rev. Warnock’s fight for Medicaid Expansion and pushing back against proposed cuts to children’s health care programs.

Even before the coronavirus, our state’s health care system was in a crisis compounded by the failure of Georgia’s leaders to expand Medicaid. Today, 518,000 Georgians would be eligible for health care if our leaders took action. But instead, Georgians continue to pay taxes to give people in other states access to health care while we go without and rural hospitals across the state continue to close due to lack of support.

The pandemic has laid bare the glaring inequality of our health care system like never before. As coronavirus cases skyrocket, the inadequacy of our health care system has become painfully clear, while the gaps between rich and poor, black and white, rural and urban, grow wider every day.

As a U.S. Senator, Rev. Warnock will continue to fight with that same conviction and courage to:

  • Listen to the experts to take steps to get the coronavirus under control, including supporting robust testing, contact tracing, and basic preventive safety like the use of face masks;
  • Protect, improve and build upon the Affordable Care Act;
  • Defend protections for pre-existing conditions;
  • Provide comprehensive access to reproductive and mental health services;
  • Support legislation to lower the costs of prescription drugs, including legislation to authorize the federal government to negotiate with drug companies to bring down prices;
  • Encourage Medicaid expansion and support rural and urban hospitals;
  • Support innovative solutions to expanding affordable health care access, like allowing access to a public option through early Medicare buy-in;
  • Fight back against efforts by Washington politicians to slash Medicare funding;

Right now, our state’s elected leaders are trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act and take away health care protections for millions of Georgians — while we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Reverend Warnock is committed to fighting back against efforts to dismantle the law’s protections for the more than 1.8 million Georgians with pre-existing conditions and provisions allowing anyone under the age of 26 to remain on their parent’s insurance.

Reverend Warnock also understands that affordable health care is a moral imperative. As an advocate and pastor, Warnock has spent years fighting for the fundamental right to health care. That’s why Reverend Warnock is committed to expanding affordable access to health care in any way possible, including through a public option and early Medicare buy-in. But Reverend Warnock also understands how personal decisions of health care can be, which is why he will never support efforts that take private insurance from those that want to keep it.

He has been a tireless advocate for Medicaid expansion, which is key to keeping rural hospitals open, making health care accessible and affordable to those who need it the most, and improving treatment for victims of addiction.

With Georgians exposed to the skyrocketing costs of critical prescription drugs like insulin, Reverend Warnock believes solutions, like allowing the federal government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies on the prices seniors are charged for life-saving medication, will ease this moral crisis. He understands that too often Georgians are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs or putting food on the table, and he believes the system that makes such a choice necessary is unconscionable and immoral.

Infrastructure: Building A Foundation For Prosperity And Investing In Workers

Reverend Warnock believes it is time to reinvest in America’s workers. He sees our broken roads and bridges as symbols of the broken covenant in our union and representations of the lack of mobility that is stunting our potential for prosperity. Our fractured infrastructure has had real consequences for ordinary people who rely on roads to get to work, pipes for clean drinking water, and bridges to connect them to their neighbors.

And in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, Reverend Warnock believes our public health crisis has been compounded by the ongoing disinvestment in Georgia’s hospitals and rural areas and highlights the real disparities in access to education as millions of rural and urban children without access to the internet fall behind in lessons as schools remain shuttered.

By reinvesting in a clean economy based on green transportation and energy infrastructure, Reverend Warnock believes that we can create good, family-sustaining jobs that will prepare us for the 21st century. He understands that this need is especially urgent in both rural and urban communities, where we also need to invest in broadband that will connect people to the global economy and lay a foundation for the future. These investments will help businesses flourish in our state, help workers get to jobs, and help consumers get to services.

In the Senate, Reverend Warnock will advocate for:

  • Repairing our crumbling roads and bridges, that create good-paying jobs;
  • Innovation in air, water and ground transportation, such as creating high speed rails to connect *Metro Atlanta and South Georgia, and the expansion of our coastal ports;
  • Investing in our aging water infrastructure including green infrastructure to deliver safe, affordable, and clean drinking water, and prevent flooding and pollution in our neighborhoods;
  • Reducing traffic pollution by improving and expanding public transportation;
  • Investing in multi-modal transit to build communities of roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks;
  • Increasing funding for local project developments in historically underserved areas and communities of color;
  • Investing in technology like broadband to connect Georgians to critical services like telemedicine and virtual classrooms;
  • Protecting major transportation hubs that are critical to our economy, like Hartsfield Jackson *Airport and the port of Savannah; and
  • Researching and investing in infrastructure around clean energy and transportation.

Jobs: Rebuilding An Economy That Works For Everyone

Reverend Warnock knows the global pandemic has fundamentally impacted the daily lives and economic security of Georgians and that in many cases the pain is being felt most by families who were already struggling to get by.

With tens of millions of Americans having lost work or totally unemployed, it’s clear our leaders have failed not only in their response to the health impacts of the virus, but also in answering its financial toll.

In Georgia, we’ve experienced failed leadership from our state department of labor’s delayed payments to citizens for weeks, while nationally leaders have fallen down on the job getting support to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and keeping needed programs for everyday families in place.

Reverend Warnock is committed to putting politics aside and listening to the experts making sure we’re containing the virus and standing up for struggling families that have been treated as political pawns throughout this crisis.

While Reverend Warnock has felt Georgian’s pains from the pandemic, his perspective on economic fairness and the dignity of work is rooted in his upbringing.

Growing up in Savannah’s Kayton Homes public housing, Reverend Warnock had eleven brothers and sisters and learned the value of hard work from his mother, who spent summers picking tobacco and cotton, and his father, who sold junk cars before standing up on Sunday mornings and preaching to poor, ordinary working-class people who themselves felt discarded.

That upbringing shaped his understanding of work, the need for good paying jobs, and the importance of fair wages for all Americans. But Reverend Warnock recognizes that things have gotten harder for families like his, and for many in Georgia, historic unemployment and a global pandemic mean the American dream has never felt more out of reach.

From Columbus to Cuthbert, Atlanta to Lavonia, workers are being laid off from jobs they’ve held for years and new employees are entering a workforce that no longer has a place for them. And even when the economy is expanding, its benefits are not being shared equally. For the employed, gender pay gaps and unfair labor practices show that our economy is designed for the wealthiest one percent, not the working class. And in rural communities, an exodus of jobs and employers has left our state vulnerable to economic shocks and exploitation.

Reverend Warnock believes that we need to rebuild an economy that works for everyone. He understands that we need to protect the dignity of work and fight for fair wages and equitable employment practices in the workplace. He knows that instead of continuing to disinvest in public education and assistance, we need to focus on investing in our children’s education and offer multiple paths for folks to attain the American dream, including:

  • Listening to the experts to take steps to get the coronavirus under control, including supporting robust testing, contact tracing, and basic preventive safety like the use of face masks;
  • Better supporting those who have been hit hardest by the pandemic, and working to fund unemployment and other systems that have been neglected by Washington.
  • Working to support transparency around economic development programs and ensuring the small businesses that are drivers of our economy are not ignored from programs like the Paycheck Protection Program in favor of wealthy corporations that are politically well-connected.
  • Protecting the dignity of work, including honest wages, protected retirement, and fair overtime compensation;
  • Encouraging technical and vocational training, and apprenticeships to meet the needs of an evolving economy;
  • Revoking tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs and supporting made-in-America incentives;
  • Helping small business owners, especially entrepreneurs of color and women, attain capital and support;
  • Supporting pay equity across the board for all Georgians;
  • Fighting against burdensome regulations on small businesses;
  • Protecting Georgia’s film industry from political extremism; and
  • Advocating for a livable wage to ensure the dignity of working people.

Fighting for workers also means he will oppose Washington tax breaks that benefit the richest of the rich while leaving behind the poor and working families that need help the most.

LGBTQ+: Equality For LGBTQ+ Communities

Reverend Warnock is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community. As a civil rights advocate, he firmly believes that there’s no such thing “as equal rights for some.”

Reverend Warnock believes that our nation’s commitment to equality is sacred and inviolable. That belief has led him to routinely advocate from the pulpit on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community, to mourn in moments of tragedy, such as after the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and to celebrate in times of triumph, as after the Supreme Court’s recognition of marriage equality.

As the Pastor of “America’s Freedom Church,” he also believes that the church should be the first institution to defend vulnerable communities.

As a Senator, he will fight for and support the Equality Act to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community from housing, financial, and employment discrimination; advocate for gender inclusive policies and resources to help at-risk LGBTQ+ youth who face higher risks of homelessness and other challenges; and push to ban discriminatory federal practices that stop trans people from serving in our armed forces.

Warnock would also fight to ensure that there is fairness and equality in health care, working to expand access to medications like PrEP and other life saving care for all communities.

Choice: Women’s Health Care And Reproductive Justice

Reverend Warnock has been an advocate for women’s health and reproductive justice his entire life and is proud to have been endorsed by NARAL and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Since his time as a teen peer counselor in high school and his work with the Georgia Department of Health during college, Warnock has fought to increase safe and affordable access to contraceptives and achieve reproductive justice for women and families. While working with the State, he also helped author a statewide curriculum for uniform training for Georgia’s teen peer counselors. As Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, he has carried that work forward by centering choice and justice in his ministry.

With Washington politicians still working to overturn Roe v. Wade and repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would allow insurance companies to treat pregnancy as a pre-existing condition, Reverend Warnock recognizes that women’s health care is under attack like never before. As a Senator, he will stand up for reproductive justice and a woman’s right to choose.

Warnock believes in a woman’s right to choose and that it is a decision between her and her doctor – not the government. He knows the importance of family planning and contraceptive access to achieving fair and equal economic outcomes. That’s why in the U.S. Senate, he will

  • Fight to protect access to quality, affordable reproductive health care;
  • Support the Affordable Care Act’s preventive care protections for access to birth control, cancer screenings, and other life saving care;
  • Push to root out the biases in our health care system that result in deadly inequalities, such as higher maternal mortality rates among Black women;
  • Support judicial nominees that support a woman’s right to choose and uphold Roe v. Wade;and
  • Oppose all partisan attacks defunding health care providers like Planned Parenthood.

National Security & Defense

As the son of a World War II Veteran, Reverend Warnock understands the importance for a strong national defense. In the Senate, he will work across the aisle to ensure that America’s military remains the strongest in the world and keeps our country and its people safe.

Georgia is home to 13 military installations, including Fort Benning, home of the US Army’s Ranger School, that play a critical role in Georgia’s economy. Reverend Warnock is committed to protecting and preserving Georgia’s role in America’s national security strategy by strengthening our economy, workforce, competitiveness, innovation, and democracy.

To stay strong at home, we must properly man, train, and equip the Armed Forces and Coast Guard. Reverend Warnock will advance America’s values around the world and commits to supporting the use of diplomacy as a first, best resort, and will speak out against tyrants and dictators. Reverend Warnock will ensure that the White House governs transparently and is guided by facts.

Voting Rights: Ensuring Every Vote Is Counted

After the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, our state became ground zero for voter suppression. With partisan gerrymandering, long lines in minority communities, polling place closures, and voter purges, the state of Georgia has followed every strategy in the voter suppression playbook. Whether through vote-by-mail or in-person voting, all Georgia voters must have the opportunity to use their voice at the ballot box. And with the United States Postal Service now under siege, the right to vote is at risk for millions of Georgians.

But in the spirit of his mentor and parishioner, the late Congressman John Lewis, Reverend Warnock understands that our vote is our voice, and that the ability to use our voice is a matter of human dignity. He believes that the best way to honor John Lewis’ legacy is not to simply offer pious platitudes, but to get busy restoring the Voting Rights Act that was gutted by the Supreme Court. And in the middle of a global pandemic, it also means giving states the resources they need to protect access to the vote for all. Our elections must be fair, open, and safe for every eligible citizen, and Americans should never have to choose between their life and their vote.

Voting rights have been central to Reverend Warnock’s advocacy work for decades. In the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina and only six months into his role as Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor, Reverend Warnock helped organize Freedom Caravans that drove from Atlanta to New Orleans to help Louisiana voters access the polls and exercise their right to participate in municipal elections. In his ministry, Reverend Warnock and Ebenezer Baptist Church have participated for years in ‘Souls to the Polls’ to encourage voter mobilization in the Black community. And he has helped register hundreds of thousands of voters as the former Chair of the New Georgia Project.

That’s why he is proud to have earned the endorsement of Fair Fight Action and the Voter Protection Project.

In the Senate, Reverend Warnock pledges to fight to ensure that every eligible voter can participate in our democracy under the American promise of “one person, one vote”, by:

  • Protecting the sanctity of voting by restoring and strengthening the Voting Rights Act/John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act;
  • Pushing for expanded Vote-By-Mail options, especially to protect Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • Expanding in-person Early Vote and no-fault Absentee Ballot options;
  • Increasing training and resources for state election officials and volunteers;
  • Advocating for resources to protect the security of elections;
  • Supporting efforts to make Election Day a federal holiday; and
  • Standing up to protect and fund the United States Postal Service.

Veterans & Military Families

Reverend Warnock is a native Georgian whose family has honorably served in the armed forces for generations. In fact, Reverend Warnock’s father was a distinguished US Army World War II Veteran.

With Georgia being home to over 640,000 veterans and over 90,000 active-duty personnel, reservists, and national guardsmen, it is imperative that its elected leaders represent their needs and boldly advocate on their behalf.

Reverend Warnock understands the sacred obligation to care for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in battle, sent into harm’s way by our leaders and lawmakers. He is committed to improving the functionality and efficiency of the VA, especially those facilities here in Georgia. He understands the evolving health care needs of today’s veterans, such as behavioral health and issues arising from PTSD, MST, TBI. Reverend Warnock is committed to strengthening the use of telehealth, which is direly needed for Georgia’s veterans who live in rural communities where health care access has declined.

Veterans and their families achieving the American Dream is important to Reverend Warnock. He will work to ensure that transitioning military service members and their spouses are prepared to enter the civilian world with optimal career and education opportunities.

There are far too many homeless veterans in Georgia. Just as other states have done, Reverend Warnock will work with Georgia’s elected officials to end veteran systemic homelessness.

Reverend Warnock will bring action to ensure that veterans and their families have a Georgia that they can call home – that welcomes them to a better life as gratitude for their service and sacrifice.

Immigration

The United States is and has always been a nation of immigrants. Unfortunately, our broken immigration system affects Georgians and their families adversely, placing the American dream out of reach for many seeking a better life in our country. We need comprehensive immigration reform that fixes our broken system, keeps our nation safe and provides a reasonable path to citizenship.

In the Senate, Reverend Warnock will work to reform our immigration system by fighting to keep families together, end the use of privatized prisons and ensure due process under the law. He will keep our promise to DREAMers, and stand up for thoughtful management and oversight of ICE. He will work to pass hate crime legislation to combat discrimination against immigrant communities and support peaceful humanitarian policies toward refugees.[5]

—Raphael Warnock's campaign website (2020)[6]

Campaign advertisements

"The Power to Change Things" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 30, 2020
"Choice" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 28, 2020
"Amy" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 21, 2020
"Savannah" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 19, 2020
"Albany" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 19, 2020
"Warner Robins" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 19, 2020
"Augusta" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 19, 2020
"Learn A Lot" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 19, 2020
"Asking You" - Warnock and Ossoff campaign ad, released December 17, 2020
"To Do List" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 12, 2020
"Get Ready to Vote" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 10, 2020
"Path" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 8, 2020
"Congregate" - Warnock campaign ad, released December 8, 2020
"Commonsense" - Warnock campaign ad, released November 12, 2020
"Best Represents You" - Warnock campaign ad, released November 9, 2020
"All About The People" - Warnock campaign ad, released October 21, 2020
"No Sense" - Warnock campaign ad, released October 21, 2020
"President Obama's Message for Georgia" - Warnock campaign ad, released October 21, 2020
"On the Ballot" - Warnock campaign ad, released October 9, 2020
"Like Me" - Warnock campaign ad, released October 5, 2020
"Disconnect" - Warnock campaign ad, released September 29, 2020
"Moral Health" - Warnock campaign ad, released September 22, 2020
"Store" - Warnock campaign ad, released September 11, 2020
"Counseled" - Warnock campaign ad, released August 26, 2020
"Grew Up" - Warnock campaign ad, released August 19, 2020
"Get Ready" - Warnock campaign ad, released January 30, 2020

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Notable candidate endorsements by Raphael Warnock
EndorseeElectionStageOutcome
Angela Alsobrooks  source  (D) U.S. Senate Maryland (2024) Primary
Joe Biden  source  (D) President of the United States (2024) Primary

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Warnock was assigned to the following committees:[Source]

2021-2022

Warnock was assigned to the following committees:


Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
Vote Bill and description Status
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (87-13)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (87-11)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (88-9)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (63-36)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (68-23)
Red x.svg Nay Red x.svg Failed (50-49)
Red x.svg Nay Yes check.svg Passed (50-46)


Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress


Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
Vote Bill and description Status
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (69-30)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (50-49)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (51-50)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (88-11)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (83-11)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (86-11)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (64-33)
Not Voting Red x.svg Failed (46-48)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (68-31)
Not Voting Yes check.svg Passed (61-36)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (72-25)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (94-1)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (79-19)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (65-33)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (65-35)
Yes check.svg Guilty Red x.svg Not guilty (57-43)
Yes check.svg Yea Red x.svg Failed (47-47)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (50-49)
Yes check.svg Yea Red x.svg Failed (49-51)
Yes check.svg Yea Yes check.svg Passed (68-29)

See also

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External links

Footnotes

  1. Ebenezer Baptist Church, "Our Pastor," accessed December 11, 2020
  2. The New York Times, "Can Raphael Warnock Go From the Pulpit to the Senate?" November 1, 2020
  3. The New York Times, "Citing ‘Soul of Our Democracy,’ Pastor of Dr. King’s Church Enters Senate Race," updated February 25, 2020
  4. Valdosta Today, "Board chair named at the New Georgia Project," June 8, 2017
  5. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  6. Raphael Warnock's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed December 31, 2020
  7. Congress.gov, "H.R.2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024," accessed February 27, 2024
  8. Congress.gov, "H.R.6363 - Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024," accessed February 27, 2024
  9. Congress.gov, "H.R.5860 - Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act," accessed February 27, 2024
  10. Congress.gov, "H.R.3746 - Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023," accessed February 27, 2024
  11. Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.7 - Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020." accessed February 23, 2024
  12. Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.44 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'"" accessed February 28, 2024
  13. Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.30 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to 'Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights'." accessed February 23, 2024
  14. Congress.gov, "H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," accessed April 15, 2022
  15. Congress.gov, "H.R.1319 - American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
  16. Congress.gov, "H.R.5376 - Inflation Reduction Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
  17. Congress.gov, "S.1605 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022," accessed April 15, 2022
  18. Congress.gov, "H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
  19. Congress.gov, "S.3373 - Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
  20. Congress.gov, "H.R.4346 - Chips and Science Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  21. Congress.gov, "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022
  22. Congress.gov, "H.R.2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022," accessed January 20, 2023
  23. Congress.gov, "H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  24. Congress.gov, "H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023
  25. Congress.gov, "S.937 - COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act," accessed April 15, 2022
  26. Congress.gov, "H.R.3076 - Postal Service Reform Act of 2022," accessed January 23, 2023
  27. Congress.gov, "S.2938 - Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  28. Congress.gov, "H.R.5305 - Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act," accessed January 23, 2023
  29. Congress.gov, "H.Res.24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.," accessed April 15, 2022
  30. Congress.gov, "H.R.350 - Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022," accessed January 23, 2023
  31. Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.14 - A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.," accessed April 15, 2022
  32. Congress.gov, "H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," accessed January 20, 2023
  33. Congress.gov, "H.R.2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023

Political offices
Preceded by
Kelly Loeffler (R)
U.S. Senate Georgia
2021-Present
Succeeded by
-


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