In the runoff election on January 5, Warnock defeated Kelly Loeffler who had been placed in the seat by Governor Brian Kemp upon the retirement of longtime member of Congress Johnny Isakson.
According to Warnock, Georgia stood up. He says "There was one message, an argument that appealed to our fears" and tried to stir up "old racial resentments and bigotry." Yet, the Pastor of Atlanta's Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, says the other message "appealed to our hopes. And though we have a lot of work to do, hope prevailed."
Warnock, who spoke to Radio.com's Maria Boynton about his goals as a member of Congress, said "We have to build on our hopes and strengthen the community and the covenant that we have with one another as people of Georgia and as an American people."