The 'Senate Power' at Stake in Georgia, USA... Decision May Come in January Next Year

Republicans 48 vs Democrats 48 'Neck and Neck'... Runoff Required if No Majority Winner Under State Election Law

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] In the Senate elections held alongside the U.S. presidential election, the Republican and Democratic parties are neck and neck, making it increasingly likely that the majority party will not be decided until January next year.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and others as of 1:20 a.m. Eastern Time on the 6th, with 98% of the votes counted in the Georgia Senate race, Republican Senator David Perdue is leading with 49.9%, ahead of Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff.

In Georgia, a special election is also being held to fill the vacancy left by former Congressman Johnny Isakson, who retired last December. With 97% of the votes counted, Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock has 32.8%, while Republican candidate Kelly Loeffler has 26.0%.

Georgia election law stipulates that if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, regardless of party, the top two candidates must proceed to a runoff election. If the runoff occurs, it is scheduled for January 5 next year, meaning the outcome may not be decided within this year. With both parties currently holding 48 seats each, a runoff in Georgia, which holds 2 seats, appears inevitable, and the result will likely determine the balance of power in the Senate.

Although the Republicans initially appeared to be performing well in the Senate elections, as of the fourth day of vote counting, both parties are engaged in tight races in four states. Besides the two races in Georgia, the Democratic candidate is leading in North Carolina, while the Republican candidate is ahead in Alaska.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.