Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeated Senator Kelly Loeffler and Senator David Perdue in Georgia’s twin Senate runoff races. Democrats now hold 50 seats in the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as a tie-breaking vote. This grants Democrats unified power over the executive and legislative branches. Both of the winning candidates have climate platforms and neither have endorsed a Green New Deal. This news arrived yesterday amidst an attempted coup in the U.S. Capitol by white supremacist insurrectionists. Soon after, Congress officially certified Biden’s presidential win.

350 Action Campaigner Betamia Coronel gave the following response:

“This election season, Black women, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian-Pacific Islander communities, youth voters, and many organizers showed up in Georgia to save our democracy and planet. Together, we are shifting the balance of power — first by electing  Biden and Harris, and now by electing Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. This election was about upping pressure on elected officials to enact real progress at the federal, state, and local levels. Now, we will hold them accountable to the communities who elected them.

“This is our chance to push real climate legislation through the Senate, including a Green New Deal and a just recovery from the pandemic, racial and economic injustice. On a state level, we expect both Senator-elects to unyieldingly prioritize housing, racial, and climate justice, including by backing a Green New Deal and the Thrive resolution. Ossoff must act on his support for renewable energy investment and green jobs through his infrastructure plan, rejoining the Paris Agreement, and reversing Trump’s environmental rollbacks. Warnock must fulfill his commitment to a renewable energy transition that centers low income and BIPOC Georgians, prioritize environmental justice, and ensure investment in climate resiliency.”

Throughout the election, 350 Action held phone banks, ramping up efforts in Georgia ahead of the run-off elections. 

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