Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock spoke to local Athens citizens while he campaigned at the 40 Watt Club in Downtown Athens on Friday, Dec. 11. If he wins the election, Warnock plans to use the leading values of his faith to guide him in the Senate. “I love being a pastor, and I’m going to take the values that inform my faith into the U.S. Senate. Values that don’t simply apply to those of us who are Christian, but to all of the great religious traditions and all of the great moral traditions,” Warnock said. Photo by Krista Shumaker
Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock held a campaign rally on Dec. 11 next to the 40 Watt Club in Downtown Athens and explained why he is running in the 2020 Senate election.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz has publicly supported Warnock and contributed to planning this event.
“(Warnock’s) assistants reached out to me just a couple of days ago to let me know that he was interested in coming through to meet some folks in Athens,” Girtz said. “He’s going to be here (at City Hall), meeting with some business people largely, and then he’s going to go over to right outside of 40 Watt to talk mostly with students.”
An American pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Warnock used the guiding values of his faith and Savannah upbringing to speak to all Georgians in his campaign. If elected, Warnock said he would help Georgians by fighting for more affordable health care, better access to education and livable wages for working-class families.
“You send me to the U.S. Senate, you’re going to have somebody who understands the struggles of ordinary people.”
— Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock,
Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate
“You send me to the U.S. Senate, you’re going to have somebody who understands the struggles of ordinary people,” Warnock said. “Not just the kid like I was growing up in public housing in Savannah, but the kids who are growing up in rural disaffected communities all across this state. You’re going to have somebody who understands what it’s like.”
UGA’s NAACP chapter president and senior Alex English spoke at the Warnock campaign rally in hopes to address issues facing the nation and rally support for Warnock.
“When I came here, I knew that I wanted to speak (at the rally) and I wanted to be able to make a difference,” English said. “I think student debt is the biggest (issue) that can apply to me personally, but I also want to make sure we get this COVID situation handled as soon as possible, with as many people saved as we can. And I think that Reverend Warnock is willing to do that.”
During the rally, Warnock spoke about stable jobs, low-interest student loans. As one of 11 children, he focused his message on being a representative of young adults who struggle like he did.
“I’m running for the U.S. Senate because it’s harder now for young people growing up in struggling families than it was for me,” Warnock said. “Our children should not be loaded down in student debt in a country in which student debt has now surpassed credit card loans and surpassed auto loans. Our young people should not have to have a mortgage before they even get a mortgage.”
As his campaigning days come to a close and election day approaches, Warnock wanted to reach beyond church doors to appeal to Georgia as a whole to combat COVID-19.
“We’ve learned tragically this year that elections are a matter of life and death, that politics and public policy can literally decide who lives and who dies, and the quality of people’s lives,” Warnock said. “And so there’s so much at stake and that’s why I got in this race in the first place.”
After six years of a Republican-controlled Senate, UGA student Chase Whatley feels ready for change in the government.
“That would be incredible if (Warnock wins the special election for Senate). Him and Jon Ossoff would give us the majority vote. So it would help our president, the President Elect Biden be able to get through will all the reform a little bit easier (and) kind of reverse some things that the Trump administration changed and things of that sort. So I think it would be really good,” Whatley said.
Clayton County resident Tambra Joyner went to Warnock’s campaign rally to show her support for the candidate. Joyner encourages all community members to vote.
“I just hope that everyone young (and) old (votes in this special election). Athens, whether regardless of who you support or who you vote for, get out and vote in the runoff election and not just the main election. January 5, we need you guys,” Joyner said. “I’ve already sent in my request for my absentee ballot and I’m ready.”
Photo by Dalila Tejada
