The Senate race in Georgia between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker will head to a runoff as neither candidate has managed to clinch a 50% majority.
Under Georgia’s election laws, a candidate must receive at least 50% plus one to win an election outright.
“Right now we have less than 20,000 total votes still out to be counted. That’s not enough to change the race. So this is headed for a runoff,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Wednesday morning on “The Brian Kilmeade Show.”
This morning, Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, tweeted that it’s “safe to say” the election in Georgia will head to a runoff next month. The state has not yet made an official announcement, but this means the election could be left unresolved for weeks.
According to NBC News, Warnock won 49.2% of the vote to Walker’s 48.7%. If Democrats nab 49 Senate seats before the runoff, the runoff will decide which party controls the chamber.
The race is close despite Walker’s campaign being rocked by allegations that he paid for at least one woman to have an abortion. Walker has denied the allegations.