Democratic Party of Georgia Celebrates One Year Since Historic Senate Runoff Election Wins

One year ago today, Georgia voters shocked the nation and made history by electing Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock to the U.S. Senate, flipping both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats and securing the Democratic Senate majority. The January 5, 2021 runoff elections marked the first two Democratic wins in a federal statewide runoff election in Georgia’s history. 

Since then, Senators Ossoff and Rev. Warnock and the Senate Democratic majority have helped President Joe Biden deliver historic results for Georgians, including:

• The American Rescue Plan. This landmark legislation provided life-changing relief for Georgia families, small businesses, schools, cities, and states to help bounce back from the pandemic. Funds from the package have been used in Georgia to givefirst responders bonuses, raise minimum wages, invest in students’ education, bolster health care centers, and more.

• Child Tax Credit. The expansion of the Child Tax Credit included in the American Rescue Plan is the largest anti-poverty effort in half a century. In Georgia, the families of 2.2 million children received monthly tax cuts, which helped families fend off eviction, pay utility bills and back rent, buy groceries and school supplies, and cover other vital expenses. 

• Vaccinations. The American Rescue Plan mounted a national vaccination program, ensuring access to free, safe COVID-19 vaccines for every eligible Georgian and American and launching community vaccination centers around the country. American Rescue Plan funds have also been used throughout the state to create incentive programs to boost vaccination rates.

• Judicial System. Senate Democrats have confirmed a historic slate of federal judges, ensuring that the federal judicial system better reflects America and is representative of the people it serves. Nearly 75 percent of the judicial nominees are women, and nearly 65 percent are people of color.

• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. After years of all talk and no action from Republicans, it took a Democratic Senate to finally pass a bipartisan package of historic infrastructure investments. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will revitalize our state’s roads and bridges, improve transportation across the state, provide broadband internet coverage throughout Georgia, and strengthen the electric vehicle industry, all of which will create thousands of good-paying jobs and stimulate Georgia’s economy. Senator Reverend Warnock also worked across the aisle to include a provision paving the way for the I-14 highway from Columbus to Augusta.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, released the following statement in celebration of the anniversary: 

“It is no exaggeration to say that Georgia voters permanently changed the trajectory of this country one year ago today. None of the progress our country has made in the past year – the major economic boost in the American Rescue Plan, life-changing middle class tax cuts in the expanded Child Tax Credit program, or critical infrastructure upgrades we’re set to see under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – would have been possible without Georgia voters turning out in record numbers to flip the Senate blue by electing Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock.

“From passing historic legislation to spearheading the fight for voting rights in the Senate, Senators Ossoff and Rev. Warnock have done Georgians proud over the past year. As the Senate continues working on critical legislation to help Georgians thrive and protect our fundamental rights, Georgia Democrats are more fired up than ever to re-elect Senator Reverend Warnock in 2022 and defend our Senate majority.”

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