Jon Ossoff declares victory in Georgia Senate runoff as race remains too close to call

Democrat Jon Ossoff is claiming victory over Republican David Perdue in their Georgia Senate runoff, though the race still remains too close to call.

The Democratic Senate candidate spoke during a live stream on Wednesday morning as the latest results show him leading Perdue by about 16,000 votes with 98 percent of votes reported, according to The New York Times. A winner in the race has not yet been projected by The Associated Press or any of the major television networks, however, and Perdue hasn't conceded.

"It is with humility that I thank the people of Georgia for electing me to serve you in the United States Senate," Ossoff said. "Thank you for the confidence and trust that you have placed in me."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Ossoff in his address also pledged to "serve all the people of the state" and "give everything I've got to ensuring that Georgia's interests are represented in the U.S. Senate."

Democrat Raphael Warnock was previously projected to defeat Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) in their Senate runoff. A victory by Ossoff would, therefore, allow Democrats to take control of the Senate, creating a 50-50 split between both parties where ties would be broken by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Brendan Morrow