Georgia runoff: Why one Senate seat is crucial for Democrats

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., speaks during a news conference, Nov. 10, 2022, in Atlanta. Warnock is running against Republican Herschel Walker in a runoff election. Democrats have secured their majority in the Senate for the next two years. But holding on to Warnock's seat in Georgia's runoff next month could be crucial to their success.(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Democrats have secured their majority in the Senate for the next two years. But holding on to Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock’s seat in Georgia’s runoff next month could be crucial to their success.

If Warnock wins the runoff against Republican Herschel Walker, Democrats will have 51 seats. That would make legislating a lot easier than it is in the current 50-50 Senate, the narrowest possible balance of power. For the last two years, Democrats have had to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris — she is the president of the Senate — to break ties.

Republicans and Democrats are spending millions of dollars to win the seat in the Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia after neither Warnock nor Walker, a famed former football player, won the necessary 50 percent margin to triumph on Election Day. Warnock beat Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a 2020 special election and is now vying for a full six-year term.