Raphael Warnock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raphael Warnock
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Official portrait, 2021
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| United States Senator from Georgia |
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| Assumed office January 20, 2021 Serving with Jon Ossoff
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| Preceded by | Kelly Loeffler |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Raphael Gamaliel Warnock
July 23, 1969 Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Oulèye Ndoye
(m. 2016; div. 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Morehouse College (BA) Union Theological Seminary (MDiv, MPhil, PhD) |
| Occupation |
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| Religion | Christian |
| Denomination | Baptist (Progressive National Baptist Convention) |
| Church | Ebenezer Baptist Church |
| Religious career | |
| Post | Senior pastor (2005–present) |
Raphael Gamaliel Warnock (pronounced RAH-fee-el WOR-nok; born July 23, 1969) is an American Baptist pastor and politician. He serves as a U.S. Senator for Georgia. He has been a senator since 2021.
Before becoming a senator, Warnock was a senior pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. This is the same church where Martin Luther King Jr. used to preach. He became well-known in Georgia for working to expand healthcare access for people.
In 2020, he ran for the U.S. Senate against Kelly Loeffler. He won the election in January 2021. This made him the first African American to represent Georgia in the Senate. He was also the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from a Southern state. He was reelected for a full term in 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Raphael Warnock was born in Savannah, Georgia, on July 23, 1969. He grew up in public housing. He was the eleventh of twelve children. His parents, Verlene and Jonathan Warnock, were both pastors.
His father served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He later opened a business fixing cars. His mother worked picking cotton and tobacco when she was young. She also became a pastor.
Warnock finished high school in 1987. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr.. So, he went to Morehouse College. He graduated in 1991 with a degree in psychology. He also earned several advanced degrees from Union Theological Seminary.
Religious Work
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Warnock started his ministry at the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama. In the 1990s, he worked as a youth pastor in New York.
In 2001, Warnock became the senior pastor of Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
On Father's Day in 2005, he became the senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He was the fifth and youngest person to lead this church. He still serves as pastor while being a senator.
As a pastor, Warnock has spoken out on important issues. He delivered a prayer at the public service for Barack Obama's second inauguration in 2013. In 2019, he hosted a meeting about climate change at his church. He also led the funeral service for Representative John Lewis in 2020.
Political Activism
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Warnock became known in Georgia politics for his work on healthcare. He led efforts to expand Medicaid in the state. Medicaid helps people with low incomes get healthcare.
In 2014, he led a peaceful protest at the Georgia State Capitol. He and others were arrested for protesting. They wanted state lawmakers to accept federal money to expand Medicaid.
From 2017 to 2020, Warnock led the New Georgia Project. This group helps people register to vote.
Warnock supports making healthcare more affordable for everyone. He also supports the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. This act aims to protect voting rights. He is also against the death penalty.
U.S. Senate Elections
2020–21 Special Election
In January 2020, Warnock decided to run for the U.S. Senate. He ran against Kelly Loeffler, who held the seat. Many important Democratic leaders supported him.
His campaign focused on getting $2,000 in stimulus payments for people. He and Jon Ossoff promised to approve these payments if they won. Their wins would give Democrats control of the Senate.
In the runoff election on January 5, 2021, Warnock won. He defeated Loeffler with 51.04% of the vote. This made him the first African American to represent Georgia in the Senate. He was also the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from a Southern state. Warnock and Ossoff were the first Democrats elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia since 2000.
2022 Election
On January 27, 2021, Warnock announced he would run for a full term in 2022.
He faced Republican Herschel Walker in the general election. Since no one won a majority, they had a runoff election on December 6. Warnock won this election too. He became the first Georgia Democrat to win reelection to the Senate since 1990.
Senate Work
On January 20, 2021, Warnock officially became a U.S. Senator. He was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris.
He voted to hold former president Donald Trump accountable for the events at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
In March 2021, he supported raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. He also gave his first speech on the Senate floor. In his speech, he supported voting rights bills.
In 2022, Warnock honored former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson after he passed away. Warnock called Isakson "a patriot" and "a public servant."
Warnock and Senator Jon Ossoff worked together to name a U.S. Post Office in Atlanta after John Lewis. Lewis was a U.S. Representative for Atlanta.
Committee Assignments
As a U.S. Senator, Warnock serves on several important committees. These committees help make decisions on different topics.
He is on the:
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Congressional Joint Economic Committee
- Special Committee on Aging
Political Ideas
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Warnock supports helping farmers from minority groups. He also supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
He believes that climate policy is very important. He has talked about how pollution affects communities. He supports creating a future with clean energy. This includes making electric vehicles and batteries in Georgia.
Warnock also helped pass a bill about recycling. This bill aims to make recycling easier for communities.
In 2021, Warnock and Ossoff helped get federal money for health centers in Georgia. This money came from the American Rescue Plan. Warnock said this plan helps healthcare workers during the pandemic.
He also worked on a bill about maternal health. This bill helps pregnant women and new mothers get better healthcare. It aims to reduce discrimination in healthcare.
In 2022, the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act. This act included two of Warnock's ideas. It set a $2,000 yearly limit on prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare. It also set a $35 monthly limit on insulin costs for people on Medicare.
Warnock and Ossoff also helped get federal money to reduce homelessness among veterans in Georgia. This money helps veterans find jobs.
In 2021, Warnock worked to create Gold Star Families Remembrance Week. This week honors families whose loved ones died serving the United States.
Personal Life
Raphael Warnock lives in Atlanta. He married Oulèye Ndoye in 2016. They have two children. They divorced in 2020.
In 2022, the city of Savannah honored Warnock. They renamed Cape Street, where he grew up, to Raphael Warnock Way.
See also
In Spanish: Raphael Warnock para niños
