In Georgia, Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock was re-elected, a victory for Joe Biden

This is the last act of the US midterm elections. After tight polling, outgoing Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, won on Tuesday, December 6, with 50.7% of the vote against Donald Trump, a candidate backed by former American football player Herschel Walker. It’s a victory for President Joe Biden, who sees the Democrats strengthen their majority in the Senate to 49 seats for the Republicans.

The two candidates had already clashed in November, but as no one received more than 50% of the vote, a second round was arranged to decide between them, according to electoral law in this southern US state.

“The eyes of the nation are upon you”Joe Biden pleaded before the election, calling on voters to turn out in large numbers in this state with a large African-American population.

This victory will allow the Democratic camp to exert more influence in the Senate’s main parliamentary committees. It also significantly curbs the influence of moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, the gravedigger of several key Biden administration programs.

Obama to the rescue

To fulfill their ambitions, the Democrats called their dreamers to the rescue. Former President Barack Obama, one of the party’s most charismatic figures, campaigned in Atlanta last week.

A sign of the importance and interest of the fight: nearly 400 million dollars (382 million euros) were paid for the ballot, the most expensive of any midterm election.

Historically Republican, Georgia surprised America by choosing Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, then sent two Democrats to the Senate two months later.

Along with his many athletic accomplishments, Republican Herschel Walker, considered one of the greatest players in college football history, entered politics late in life.

The 60-year-old was thought to succeed Raphael Warnock, who served as pastor at Martin Luther King Jr.’s former desk in Atlanta before becoming a Georgia senator in 2021.

However, the pro-Trump African-American candidate’s campaign was marred by several scandals. Herschel Walker, known for his anti-abortion stances, was accused of inciting many of his former teammates to have abortions, among other things.