Joe Biden campaigns in Georgia for Senate run-offs that will shape his presidency
- Joe Biden in Georgia to stump for two Democratic candidates in run-off races that will determine Senate’s balance of power
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged Biden’s victory for first time
Hours after speaking with Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and vowing to try to work together, President-elect Joe Biden urged Georgians on Tuesday to oust McConnell as majority leader by electing the two Democratic candidates in January 5 Senate run-offs.
In a speech that marked his return to the campaign trail a day after the Electoral College confirmed his November 3 election victory, Biden, a Democrat, laid out the stakes of the twin contests in no uncertain terms, warning that leaving the Senate in Republican hands could threaten much of his policy agenda.
“Are you ready to vote for two senators who know how to say yes and not just no?” Biden told an Atlanta drive-in rally, where attendees remained in their cars because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are challenging Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively. A Democratic sweep would give the party control of both chambers of Congress as well as the White House, while even one Republican win would allow McConnell to block many of Biden’s legislative goals.
Earlier on Tuesday, McConnell broke with Republican President Donald Trump and congratulated Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris for the first time from the Senate floor. Trump has refused to concede, even as his myriad efforts to overturn the results have met with failure.