In the end, the votes from the LGBTQ+ community could decide the tightly-contested Georgia Senate run-off race between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker on Dec. 6.
'The Deciding Factor'
Based on a report by PinkNews website, the run-off election in Georgia Senate could well lie in the hands of LGBTQ+ voters.
According to Georgia Equality, an advocacy group for the LGBTQ+ community, and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), their groups have rallied queer voters to take a more active role in the Dec. 6 run-off election for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia.
The critical Senate battle between incumbent Democratic bet, Sen. Raphael Warnock, and Republican hopeful Herschel Walker could tip the scales in favor of the Democrats. Should Senator Warnock win his reelection race, the Democratic party could secure a 50-50 split in the U.S. Senate.
Such a scenario could theoretically give them control of the upper chamber with Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, breaking the tie.
The run-off situation became inevitable when Warnock failed to secure a majority lead over Herschel.
Warnock, who is also a senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, garnered 49.4% of the votes, while Walker secured 48.5% in a veritable deadlock. Meanwhile, Chase Oliver of the Libertarian Party settled with 2.1% of the votes cast.
Accordingly, Georgia Equality and GLAAD called for queer voters to participate in the Dec. 6 run-off polls. The two groups specifically urged LGBTQ+ voters to support Senator Warnock's candidacy as part of the community's push to secure President Joe Biden's pro-equality Senate majority slate.
The gay rights activist organizations issued the plea following the release of The Washington Post's study, which showed the decisive power of queer voters in the recent U.S. elections.
The latest polls showed how the queer voters' support for the Democratic party, particularly in electing Biden to the presidency in 2020, made them the deciding factor in ensuring a Democratic victory in U.S. polls.
There have also been openly gay and lesbian politicians who gained success and showed great promise in the respective elective posts they are seeking.
Call for Poll Involvement
Leaders of the two LGBTQ+ groups issued separate calls for voters' involvement in the midterm elections.
"Voters across Georgia and the entire country rejected extremist candidates... handpicked by former president Trump, like Herschel Walker was. They voted 'no' on those looking to ban books, our marriages and the right to choose. Georgia voters must return to the polls to make history again. There are just days to make a plan to vote in the run-off. Every LGBTQ voter must act now to keep moving forward on freedoms they fought so hard to win," Georgia Equality spokesperson Jeff Graham told PinkNews.
Meanwhile, Sarah Kate Ellis, the president of GLAAD, said that LGBTQ+ voters and their allies must participate in the elections to guarantee "quality, liberty and justice."
"Media must demand answers from candidates about LGBTQ issues that went mostly unmentioned in the general election campaign. Our communities and those who stand with us have the opportunity to determine the outcome of this race, but only if we show up," Ellis told PinkNews.
Senator Warnock should have the upper hand regarding voters' support from the LGBTQ+ community due to his consistently supportive stand on issues concerning the latter. In contrast, Walker had received heavy drawbacks from the LGBTQ+ community for his negative comments, including when he said Christ might not recognize trans people in heaven.
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