Republican David Perdue announced Friday he is conceding to Democrat Jon Ossoff for one of two Georgia Senate races, which came after Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) conceded to Democrat Raphael Warnock.
“Bonnie and I are deeply grateful for the support millions of Georgians have shown us this year and in the six years since we first ran for the United States Senate. Serving our home state has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am very proud of how our team in Georgia and Washington, D.C. fought every day to deliver real results for all eleven million Georgians,” Perdue said in a statement.
He added that “although we won the general election, we came up just short of Georgia’s 50 percent rule, and now I want to congratulate the Democratic Party and my opponent for this runoff win.”
“Bonnie and I will continue to pray for our wonderful state and our great country. May God continue to bless Georgia and the United States of America,” Perdue stated.
Ossoff also issued a statement this week.
“It is with humility that I thank the people of Georgia for electing me to serve you in the United States Senate,” Ossoff said in a video message posted to his Twitter account Wednesday. “Thank you for the confidence and trust that you have placed in me.”
Ossoff, 33, becomes the youngest person elected to the Senate since President-Elect Joe Biden, who was 29 when he was elected in 1972.
Loeffler, meanwhile, conceded to Warnock—just months after she was appointed to her Senate seat, following the resignation of former Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.).
By winning both seats, Democrats will control the House and Senate by slim margins.
Perdue, an ally of President Donald Trump, was elected to the Senate in 2014. He led Ossoff by about 88,000 votes in November’s general election but didn’t get the 50 percent needed to prevent a runoff election.
Several days ago, Perdue defended Trump after the president made a phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger before it was released to news outlets.
