2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia

← 2016 November 3, 2020 (first round) January 5, 2021 (runoff) 2022 →
Turnout	65.3% First round 59.7% Runoff
Candidate Raphael Warnock Kelly Loeffler Party Democrat Republican First round 1,617,035 32.9% 1,273,214 25.9% Runoff 2,289,113 51.0% 2,195,841 49.0%   Candidate Doug Collins Deborah Jackson Party Republican Democrat First round 980,454 20.0% 324,118 6.6% Runoff Eliminated Eliminated
First round county results Runoff county results Map key Warnock:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Loeffler:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90–100% Collins:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%
U.S. Senator before election Kelly Loeffler Republican Elected U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock Democrat

A special election was held in the U.S. state of Georgia. This election was to choose a new Senator. It happened in two parts: the first vote was on November 3, 2020, and a second vote (called a runoff) was on January 5, 2021.

This special election was needed because the Republican Senator, Johnny Isakson, decided to leave his job early. Raphael Warnock received the most votes in the first round, with 32.9%. Kelly Loeffler came in second with 25.9%. Since no candidate won more than half of the votes, Warnock and Loeffler had to run against each other again in the runoff election. Warnock won the second round. Another regular Senate election for a different seat was also held in Georgia at the same time.

What is a Special Election?

A special election is a vote held at an unusual time. It happens when a government job, like a Senator's seat, becomes empty before the next regular election. This allows people to choose someone new to fill the spot right away.

Why This Election Happened

The special election in Georgia was held because Senator Johnny Isakson resigned. He was a Republican. When a Senator leaves office early, the state needs to pick someone new. This person will serve until the next regular election.

The Candidates

Many people wanted to become the new Senator for Georgia. The two main candidates were Raphael Warnock and Kelly Loeffler.

• Raphael Warnock is a member of the Democratic Party.
• Kelly Loeffler is a member of the Republican Party. She was already serving as Senator after being appointed to fill the empty seat temporarily.
• Another important Republican candidate was Doug Collins.

How the Election Worked

This election had two parts because of a special rule in Georgia. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the votes in the first round, the top two candidates have a second vote. This second vote is called a runoff election.

First Round of Voting

The first round of voting took place on November 3, 2020. Many candidates ran for the Senate seat.

Since neither Raphael Warnock nor Kelly Loeffler received more than 50% of the votes, they moved on to a second round.

Second Round: The Runoff

The runoff election was held on January 5, 2021. Only Raphael Warnock and Kelly Loeffler were on the ballot.

Who Won?

Raphael Warnock won the runoff election. This means he became the new Senator for Georgia. He is a Democrat. His win changed the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

See also

In Spanish: Elección especial al Senado de los Estados Unidos en Georgia de 2020 para niños