Live Updates: Kemp defeats Abrams, Bishop leading West, Walker-Warnock runoff likely
Polls closed across Georgia at 7 p.m. in one of the most compelling midterm elections in recent memory.
More than 2.5 million votes were tallied during a two-week early voting period — a midterm record — a number driven by several high-profile races that have captured national attention: incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp is facing Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams (a rematch of the narrow 2018 race) and Sen. Raphael Warnock is battling Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
Another key battle for the balance of power in Congress is the House District 2 race between longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Sanford Bishop and Republican challenger Chris West. District 2 covers a huge swath of Georgia, from Macon to Columbus down to Albany.
Abrams reportedly concedes
According to AP reporter Jeff Amy, the Brian Kemp campaign says Stacey Abrams called Kemp to concede. Kemp has a nine-point lead with around 84% of votes counted.
Rep. Sanford Bishop had a comfortable lead over challenger Chris West for Georgia’s second House district late Tuesday.
Sen. Raphael Warnock and challenger Herschel Walker appeared headed for a lineup.
Final Bibb County totals released
With all Bibb County precincts reporting, the local unofficial voting results are:
Governor
Stacy Abrams: 31,409 votes (58.09%)
Brian Kemp: 22,368 votes (41.37%)
Shane Hazel: 290 votes (0.54%)
Senate
Raphael Warnock: 32,997 votes (61.25%)
Herschel Walker: 20,179 votes (37.46%)
Chase Oliver: 694 votes (1.29%)
US House District 2
Sanford Bishop: 23,616 votes (71.85%)
Chris West: 9,254 votes (28.15%)
MWA, District 2
Desmond D. Brown: 4,692 votes (41.34%)
Lindsey D. Holliday: 2,410 votes (21.24%)
Michele Parks: 1,359 votes (11.97%)
Marshall Talley: 1,464 votes (12.9%)
Jeff Howell: 1,424 votes (12.55%)
— Henry Keating, Mercer University
Final Houston County totals released
Here’s how Houston County residents voted:
Governor
Brian Kemp (R) 34,827
Stacey Abrams (D) 23,902
Shane Hazel (L) 440
U.S. Senate
Herschel Walker (R) 32,225
Raphael Warnock (D) 25,629
Chase Oliver (L) 1,095
U.S. House District 2
Chris West (R) 5,776
Sanford Bishop (D) 7,518
U.S. House District 8
Austin Scott (R) 28,813
Darrius Butler (D) 16,517
Houston County Commission Chair - Post 1
Dan Perdue (R) 44,622
Houston County Commission Post 2
Shane Gottwals (R) 34,918
Tim Riley (D) 23,494
— Hannah Jones
More than 50% of votes counted in Georgia
With about 50% of votes counted, here are updates for Georgia’s elections:
Brian Kemp leads Stacey Abrams with 51.2% of the vote at the halfway point of the gubernatorial race. Abrams has 48.2% of the vote.
Raphael Warnock has 51.2% of the vote for Georgia’s Senate seat, leading challenger Hershel Walker. Walker has 47.1% of the vote.
Sanford Bishop narrowly leads Chris West with 50.9% of the vote for a Georgia House seat. West has 49.1% of the vote.
Macon area polls still haven’t reported the vast majority of their votes at the 50% mark.
Abrams almost four points behind Kemp
Stacey Abrams is behind Gov. Brian Kemp with more than 50% of votes counted. The gap between Kemp and Abrams is wider than the gap between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, as expected. At her watch party in Atlanta, supporters remained in good spirits.
“This means a lot not only to the BIPOC community but to the youth and generations that’s coming up after her,” Dasan Onyx Frazier, 22, said. “To show you can come from somewhere like Spellman College, being a Morehouse grad myself, to see any of the HBCU family step in and make it happen like this is amazing. She knows the community is behind her.” — Kelby Hutchison
Rep. Austin Scott wins reelection
Incumbent Republican Rep. Austin Scott has won Georgia’s Eighth Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. Scott has 68.1% of the vote at about 8:45 p.m.
Georgia’s 8th Congressional District covers parts of Monroe, Bibb, Twiggs, Houston, Wilkinson, Dodge, Bleckley, Pulaski, Wilcox, Ben Hill, Telfair Erwin, Tift, Worth, Turner, Berrien, Atkinson, Colquitt, Cook, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes and Lanier counties.
A third of votes have been reported
With a third of the votes reported, here are updates for the Georgia races as of about 8:30 p.m.:
Sen. Raphael Warnock has 55% of the vote and leads Hershel Walker in the U.S. Senate Election. Walker has 43.4% of the vote.
Stacey Abrams narrowly leads Brian Kemp in the gubernatorial race. Abrams has 51.7% of the vote, Kemp has 47.8%.
Sanford Bishop has 54.7% of the vote, leading challenger Chris West. West has 45.3% of the vote
Georgia polls are now closed
Polls across the state closed at 7 p.m. Voters who were still in line at 7 p.m. should remain in line, as they’re allowed by Georgia law to still vote.
Candidates visit Macon ahead of election
In the final days leading up to Election Day, gubernatorial candidates Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams both visited Macon, as did Sen. Raphael Warnock along with fellow Sen. Jon Ossoff.
In an interview with the Telegraph on Thursday ahead of an event at the Tubman Museum, Abrams said concerns about healthcare, reproductive rights, public safety and affordable housing were driving Georgians to vote.
“People understand the urgency of this moment,” she said. “They know healthcare costs are going up and the governor refuses to act. They know affordable housing is in crisis and he’s made money on real estate... they understand women are being stripped of their reproductive rights and that guns are flooding our streets.”
Warnock spoke in Bearfoot Tavern’s beer garden, focusing on legislation he’s supported an authored during his two years in the Senate, including a bill that capped insulin costs and efforts to help military service members obtain affordable housing.
“We have an obligation to vote tomorrow,” he told Maconites and press Monday afternoon. “A vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children. Your vote is your voice, and your voice is your human dignity.”
Warnock also stopped in Columbus Monday evening.
Gov. Brian Kemp had airport stops in Macon and Columbus as well on Monday. — Caleb Slinkard
No issues reported at Bibb County polling places
Voting at a little after 7:30 a.m. at the Howard Community Center in suburban Macon, where Dusty Fuller voted. “After all, the craziness of COVID, you know, let’s try to have normal people around,” Fuller said in order to explain why he voted.
Janine Ellis had other motivations.
“I’m voting for my right to vote and for any decisions about my medical care or anybody’s medical care to be between a physician and the patient. And that’s it. I don’t think I can get to anything else.” — Grant Blankenship, GPB News
Wallo Murphy went to the William S. Hutchings College and Career Academy during his lunch break to go vote Tuesday afternoon.
“The economy and democracy are at stake… My mind is going off everywhere because I think about race, culture, growing up, and those whose shoulders we stand upon this.”
Agnes Harvey stopped by William S. Hutchings College and Career Academy to take her mother to vote Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s important that everyone has a say and input in this thing we call democracy, she said. “It doesn’t work well unless everybody participates.” — Al Wooten, Mercer University
Houston County voters head to the polls
It was a mixed bag of votes and views among voters interviewed Tuesday after they’d cast ballots at voting precincts in Warner Robins. Latoya Roberson voted only for Democratic candidates.
“I feel we have a better opportunity for lower taxes, health care - that’s the big thing,” said Roberson, who cast her ballot at the Wellston Center.
Doreen McEntee said she voted Republican across the board.
“It’s like a runaway train we’ve been on for the last few years and we need to stop,” said McEntee outside the Houston County Annex.
Joseph Thomas III said he voted for Libertarian Party candidates.
“I’m a constitutionalist,” said Thomas, who voted at the Houston County Annex. “I want more freedom and a smaller government.” — Becky Purser
Macon voters in line when the polls opened
Scott Dickison was playing with his kids outside of the First Christian Church polling place early Tuesday morning.
Dickison was on the way to drop “his boys” off at school. But along the way, he made a quick stop at the polls to teach his kids a real-world lesson in government.
“They’ve been hearing about the elections, and we wanted them to connect what they’ve been hearing about the elections with our responsibility to participate in it,” Dickison said. “So they’re finally to the age where I felt like they can understand.”
In some places like Fulton County, election officials have faced threats and intimidation because of accusations of voter fraud. This made voter Jennifer Watson worry that there wouldn’t be enough volunteers to staff polling places here in Macon.
“Without their sacrifice to get up early in the morning and set all of this up, none of us would be able to come here and cast our votes,” Watson said. “It’s good that we still have this many polling places available and open.” — Lars Lonnroth, Mercer University
