2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia

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The 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 3, 2020, and on January 5, 2021 (as a runoff), to elect the Class II member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Georgia. Democrat Jon Ossoff narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue in the runoff election, despite Perdue receiving more votes in the first round. The general election was held concurrently with the 2020 presidential election, as well as with other elections to the Senate, elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia
← 2014
November 3, 2020 (first round)
January 5, 2021 (runoff)
2026 →
Turnout65.4% (first round)
61.5% (runoff)
 
Candidate Jon Ossoff David Perdue
Party Democratic Republican
First round 2,374,519
47.95% 		2,462,617
49.73%
Runoff 2,269,923
50.61% 		2,214,979
49.39%
Ossoff:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Perdue:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      40–50%      50%      No data
U.S. senator before election

David Perdue
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Jon Ossoff
Democratic

No candidate received a majority of the vote during the general election on November 3, so the top two finishers—Perdue (49.7%) and Ossoff (47.9%)—advanced to a runoff election, held on January 5, 2021. The runoff was held concurrently with the special election for Georgia's other U.S. Senate seat (which had also advanced to a runoff), in which Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler lost to Democratic nominee Raphael Warnock. After the general round of elections, Republicans held 50 Senate seats and the Democratic caucus 48 (including two independents who caucus with them). As a result, the two runoffs decided control of the Senate under the incoming Biden administration. By winning both seats, Democrats took control of the chamber, with Vice President Kamala Harris's tie-breaking vote giving them an effective majority. The extraordinarily high political stakes caused the races to attract significant attention nationwide and globally. On January 6, 2021, most major news outlets projected Ossoff the winner, in the midst of the US Capitol riot. Perdue conceded the race on January 8. According to OpenSecrets, this campaign was the most expensive in U.S. Senate history, with over $468 million spent. Ossoff's victory, along with Warnock's, gave the Democrats control of the Senate for the first time since 2015. Ossoff and Warnock became the first Democrats to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia since Zell Miller in a 2000 special election.

Ossoff became the first Democrat elected to a full term in the Senate from Georgia since Max Cleland, who held this seat from 1997 to 2003, and the first Jewish member of the Senate from the state. Ossoff became the youngest senator since Don Nickles won in 1980, and the youngest Democrat since Joe Biden won in 1972. Georgia election officials certified Ossoff's victory on January 19, 2021; he was sworn in on January 20. Ossoff is the first Jewish senator from the Deep South since Benjamin F. Jonas of Louisiana, who was elected in 1878, and the first millennial United States senator. The two elections mark the first time since the 1994 United States Senate election in Tennessee and the concurrent special election that both Senate seats in a state have flipped from one party to the other in a single election cycle. This was also the first time the Democrats achieved this since West Virginia's 1958 Senate elections. With a margin of 1.2%, this election was also the closest race of the 2020 Senate election cycle. Following his election loss, Perdue ran in the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election but lost in the Republican primary to incumbent Brian Kemp. Perdue would then go on to be nominated as the U.S. ambassador to China following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

  • David Perdue, incumbent U.S. senator

Withdrawn

  • James Jackson
  • Michael Jowers, veteran
  • Ervan Katari Miller, perennial candidate

Declined

  • Derrick Grayson, activist and U.S. Senate candidate in 2014 and 2016. (ran in the special election).

Results

Republican primary results, June 9, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David Perdue (incumbent) 992,555 100.00%
Total votes 992,555 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

  • Jon Ossoff, investigative journalist, media executive, nominee for Georgia's 6th congressional district in 2017

Eliminated in primary

  • Teresa Tomlinson, former mayor of Columbus
  • Sarah Riggs Amico, nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 2018
  • Marckeith DeJesus, candidate for Georgia State Senate in 2017 and candidate for Georgia House of Representatives in 2016
  • Maya Dillard-Smith, former two-term Senate Appointee Judge over judicial performance and Rules Committee Chair
  • James Knox, retired U.S. Air Force officer
  • Tricia Carpenter McCracken, journalist and nominee for Georgia's 12th congressional district in 2016

Withdrew

  • Akhenaten Amun, high school teacher
  • Harold Shouse
  • Ted Terry, mayor of Clarkston (endorsed Ossoff)
  • Elaine Whigham Williams, pastor and candidate for president in 2016

Declined

  • Stacey Abrams, nominee for governor of Georgia in 2018 and former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives (endorsed Ossoff)
  • Jason Carter, grandson of former Georgia Governor and President Jimmy Carter, former state senator, and nominee for governor of Georgia in 2014 (endorsed Tomlinson)
  • Stacey Evans, former state representative and candidate for governor of Georgia in 2018 (running for state house)
  • Scott Holcomb, state representative
  • Jen Jordan, state senator
  • Michelle Nunn, nominee for U.S. Senate in 2014
  • Kasim Reed, former mayor of Atlanta
  • Doug Teper, former state representative
  • Sally Yates, former United States Deputy Attorney General

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Sarah Riggs
Amico 		Jon
Ossoff 		Teresa
Tomlinson 		Other Undecided
Landmark Communications June 1, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 9% 42% 14% 7% 28%
Cygnal (R) May 28–30, 2020 510 (LV) ± 4.3% 8% 49% 16% 4% 24%
The Progress Campaign (D) May 6–15, 2020 1,162 (LV) – 9% 46% 29% – 16%
The Progress Campaign (D) March 12–21, 2020 913 (RV) ± 4.6% 18% 34% 21% 27% –
University of Georgia March 4–14, 2020 807 (LV) ± 3.4% 15% 31% 16% – 39%

Head-to-head polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Jon
Ossoff 		Teresa
Tomlinson 		Undecided
Cygnal (R) May 28–30, 2020 510 (LV) ± 4.3% 58% 24% 18%

Endorsements

Jon Ossoff

Federal officials

  • Hank Johnson, U.S. representative for GA-04
  • John Lewis, U.S. representative for GA-05 (deceased)

State officials

  • Debra Bazemore, state representative
  • Sharon Beasley-Teague, state representative
  • Karen Bennett, state representative
  • Rhonda Burnough, state representative
  • Doreen Carter, state representative
  • Steve Henson, state senator and Senate Minority Leader
  • Shelly Hutchinson, state representative
  • Derrick Jackson, state representative
  • Donzella James, state senator
  • Emanuel Jones, state senator (previously endorsed Teresa Tomlinson)
  • Sheila Jones, state representative
  • Josh McLaurin, state representative
  • Miriam Paris, state representative and former state senator
  • Doc Rhett, state senator
  • Kim Schofield, state representative
  • Erica Thomas, state representative

Local officials

  • Ted Terry, mayor of Clarkston and former 2020 U.S. Senate candidate

Organizations

  • End Citizens United
  • Let America Vote

Individuals

  • Alex Hirsch, writer, artist, and animator
Teresa Tomlinson

Federal officials

  • Max Cleland, former U.S. senator (GA) (1997–2003), former secretary of state of Georgia (1983–1996), former Administrator of Veterans Affairs (1977–1981), and former secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission (2009–2017)
  • Buddy Darden, former U.S. representative for GA-07 (1983–1995)
  • Gordon Giffin, former United States Ambassador to Canada (1997–2001)
  • Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta (1982–1990), former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (1977–1979), and U.S. representative for GA-05 (1973–1977)

State officials

  • Roy Barnes, former governor of Georgia (1999–2003)
  • Debbie Buckner, state representative
  • Gail Buckner, former state senator, former state representative, and Democratic nominee in 2006 Georgia Secretary of State election
  • Jason Carter, former state senator, Democratic nominee in 2014 Georgia governor's election, and grandson of the 39th President of the United States and former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter
  • J. Craig Gordon, state representative
  • Carolyn Hugley, state representative
  • Lester G. Jackson, state senator
  • Harold V. Jones II, state senator
  • Mary Margaret Oliver, state representative and former state senator
  • Leah Ward Sears, former associate justice of the Georgia Supreme Court (1992–2005) and former chief justice (2005–2009)
  • Freddie Sims, state senator and former state representative

Local officials

  • Hardie Davis, mayor of Augusta
  • Kelly Girtz, mayor of Athens-Clarke County
  • Ceasar Mitchell, former president of the Atlanta City Council
  • Felicia Moore, president of the Atlanta City Council

Individuals

  • Hank Aaron, retired right-fielder for the Atlanta Braves
  • Lil Yachty, Atlanta rapper, singer and songwriter

Organizations

  • Democracy for America
  • National Organization for Women
Sarah Riggs Amico

Labor unions

Results

Almost four times as many Georgia voters participated in the 2020 Democratic Senate primary as in the 2016 primary, when only 310,053 votes were cast.

Democratic primary results, June 9, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jon Ossoff 626,819 52.82%
Democratic Teresa Tomlinson 187,416 15.79%
Democratic Sarah Riggs Amico 139,574 11.76%
Democratic Maya Dillard-Smith 105,000 8.85%
Democratic James Knox 49,452 4.17%
Democratic Marckeith DeJesus 45,936 3.87%
Democratic Tricia Carpenter McCracken 32,463 2.74%
Total votes 1,186,660 100.00%

Other candidates

Libertarian Party

Nominee

  • Shane Hazel, former U.S. Marine, podcaster, and Republican candidate for Georgia's 7th congressional district in 2018

Independents

Withdrawn

  • Elbert "Al" Bartell, perennial candidate (running as an independent candidate in the 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia)
  • Allen Buckley, Libertarian candidate for the 2016 United States Senate election in Georgia (running as an independent candidate in the 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia)
  • Tom Jones
  • Clifton Kilby
  • Darrell McGuire (as a write-in candidate), retired Georgia State Trooper
  • Valencia Stovall, Georgian Democratic state representative from District 74 since 2013 (running as an independent candidate in the 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia)

General election

Debates

The first debate between Hazel, Ossoff, and Perdue occurred virtually on October 12.

A second debate between Ossoff and Perdue, held on October 28 in Savannah and aired on television station WTOC-TV, was more heated and made national headlines, with Ossoff saying that Perdue had claimed "COVID-19 was no deadlier than the flu", was "looking after [his] own assets, and ... portfolio", and that Perdue voted "four times to end protections for preexisting conditions". Ossoff also called Perdue a "crook" and criticized him for "attacking the health of the people that [he] represent[s]". Perdue said Ossoff will "say and do anything to my friends in Georgia to mislead them about how radical and socialist" his agenda is. Video of the exchange went viral.

The next day, October 29, Perdue said he would not attend the third and final debate, previously scheduled to be broadcast on WSB-TV on November 1; instead Perdue decided to attend a rally with President Donald Trump in Rome on the same day—"as lovely as another debate listening to Jon Ossoff lie to the people of Georgia sounds", according to a Perdue spokesman.

On December 6, Ossoff debated an empty podium as Perdue declined to participate in a Georgia Public Broadcasting-held debate. Ossoff criticized Perdue's absence, accusing him of skipping the event because of the negative response to his performance in the October debates.

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
DDHQ Tossup November 3, 2020
FiveThirtyEight Tossup November 2, 2020
Inside Elections Tossup October 28, 2020
Sabato's Crystal Ball Tossup November 2, 2020
RCP Tossup October 23, 2020
The Cook Political Report Tossup October 29, 2020
Economist Tossup November 2, 2020
Politico Tossup November 2, 2020
Daily Kos Tossup October 30, 2020

Post-primary endorsements

David Perdue (R)

U.S. executive branch officials

  • Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)
  • George W. Bush, 43th president of the United States (2001–2009)

U.S. senators

  • Saxby Chambliss, U.S. senator from Georgia (2003–2015)
  • Johnny Isakson, U.S. senator from Georgia (2005–2019)
  • Mack Mattingly, U.S. senator from Georgia (1981–1987)
  • Tim Scott, U.S. senator from South Carolina (2013–present)

State officials

  • Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland (2015–2023)
  • John F. King, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner and former Doraville chief of police
  • Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State of Georgia (2019–present)

Organizations

Jon Ossoff (D)

U.S. executive branch officials

U.S. senators

  • Cory Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey (2013–present)
  • Catherine Cortez Masto, U.S. senator from Nevada (2017–present)
  • Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator from Minnesota, 2020 Candidate for President (2007–present)

State legislators

  • Stacey Abrams, nominee for governor of Georgia in 2018 and former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives

Local officials

Organizations

Unions

  • AFL–CIO
  • National Education Association
  • United Auto Workers

Individuals

  • Amy Acker, actress
  • Patrick J. Adams, actor
  • Usman Ally, actor
  • Ed Asner, actor
  • Dan Bakkedahl, actor
  • Troian Bellisario, actress
  • Sufe Bradshaw, actress
  • Don Cheadle, actor
  • Anna Chlumsky, actress
  • Stephen Colbert, actor and comedian
  • Gary Cole, actor
  • David Costabile, actor
  • Bryan Cranston, actor
  • Denise Crosby, actress
  • Zooey Deschanel, actress
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, actress
  • Kevin Dunn, actor
  • Clea DuVall, actress
  • Billie Eilish, singer
  • Beanie Feldstein, actress
  • Will Ferrell, actor
  • Nelson Franklin, actor
  • Tony Hale, actor
  • Mark Hamill, actor
  • Rachael Harris, actress
  • Ed Helms, actor and comedian
  • Rick Hoffman, actor
  • Aaron Korsh, writer and producer
  • Lisa Ling, journalist and author
  • John Lithgow, actor
  • Gabriel Macht, actor
  • Rory O'Malley, actor
  • David Mandel, writer and director
  • Kumail Nanjiani, actor
  • Bob Newhart, actor
  • Matt Oberg, actor
  • Patton Oswalt, actor and comedian
  • Lennon Parham, actress
  • David Pasquesi, actor
  • Jordan Peele, actor, director and comedian
  • Sarah Rafferty, actress
  • Anthony Rapp, actor
  • Sam Richardson, actor
  • Andy Richter, actor and comedian
  • Paul Scheer, actor
  • Amanda Schull, actress
  • Reid Scott, actor
  • Amy Sedaris, actress
  • Timothy Simons, actor
  • Mary Steenburgen, actress
  • Sarah Sutherland, actress
  • Max Topplin, actor
  • Gina Torres, actress
  • Matt Walsh, actor
  • Kerry Washington, actress
  • D. B. Woodside, actor
  • Bowen Yang, actor and comedian

Polling

Graphical summary

Aggregate polls

Source of poll
aggregation 		Dates
administered 		Dates
updated 		David
Perdue
Republican 		Jon
Ossoff
Democratic 		Other/
Undecided
 Margin
270 To Win November 2, 2020 November 3, 2020 46.2% 47.4% 6.4% Ossoff +1.2
Real Clear Politics November 1, 2020 November 3, 2020 46.3% 47.0% 6.7% Ossoff +0.7
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		David
Perdue (R) 		Jon
Ossoff (D) 		Shane
Hazel (L) 		Other /
Undecided
Landmark Communications November 1, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 49% 47% 3% 1%
Swayable October 27 – November 1, 2020 407 (LV) ± 6.4% 49% 48% 3% –
Data for Progress October 27 – November 1, 2020 1,036 (LV) ± 3% 46% 51% 3% 0%
Emerson College October 29–31, 2020 749 (LV) ± 3.5% 49% 51% – 3%
Morning Consult October 22–31, 2020 1,743 (LV) ± 2.0% 46% 47% – –
Landmark Communications October 28, 2020 750 (LV) ± 3.6% 47% 47% 3% 3%
Public Policy Polling October 27–28, 2020 661 (V) – 44% 47% 3% 6%
Monmouth University October 23–27, 2020 504 (RV) ± 4.4% 46% 49% 2% 2%
504 (LV) 47% 49% – –
504 (LV) 48% 49% – –
Swayable October 23–26, 2020 342 (LV) ± 7.2% 49% 48% 3% –
Civiqs/Daily Kos October 23–26, 2020 1,041 (LV) ± 3.4% 46% 51% 2% 2%
YouGov/CBS October 20–23, 2020 1,090 (LV) ± 3.4% 47% 46% – 6%
University of Georgia October 14–23, 2020 1,145 (LV) ± 4% 45% 46% 4% 5%
Landmark Communications October 21, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 50% 45% – –
Citizen Data October 17–20, 2020 1,000 (LV) ± 3% 41% 47% – 12%
Morning Consult October 11–20, 2020 1,672 (LV) ± 2.4% 46% 44% – –
Emerson College October 17–19, 2020 506 (LV) ± 4.3% 46% 45% – 9%
Siena College/NYT Upshot October 13–19, 2020 759 (LV) ± 4.1% 43% 43% 4% 10%
Opinion Insight (R) October 12–15, 2020 801 (LV) ± 3.46% 45% 45% – 8%
Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group (D) October 11–14, 2020 600 (LV) – 43% 48% 6% 3%
Quinnipiac University October 8–12, 2020 1,040 (LV) ± 3.0% 45% 51% – 3%
SurveyUSA October 8–12, 2020 677 (LV) ± 5.7% 46% 43% – 11%
Data for Progress October 8–11, 2020 782 (LV) ± 3.5% 43% 44% 1% 10%
Morning Consult October 2–11, 2020 1,837 (LV) ± 2.3% 46% 42% – –
Public Policy Polling October 8–9, 2020 528 (V) ± 4.3% 43% 44% 4% 9%
Landmark Communications October 7, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 47% 46% 2% 6%
University of Georgia September 27 – October 6, 2020 1,106 (LV) ± 2.9% 49% 41% 3% 7%
Civiqs/Daily Kos September 26–29, 2020 969 (LV) ± 3.5% 46% 48% 3% 3%
Hart Research Associates (D) September 24–27, 2020 400 (LV) ± 4.9% 49% 46% – –
Quinnipiac University September 23–27, 2020 1,125 (LV) ± 2.9% 48% 49% – 2%
Redfield & Wilton Strategies September 23–26, 2020 789 (LV) ± 3.49% 42% 47% – 12%
YouGov/CBS September 22–25, 2020 1,164 (LV) ± 3.4% 47% 42% – 10%
Monmouth University September 17–21, 2020 402 (RV) ± 4.9% 48% 42% 4% 6%
402 (LV) 48% 43% 3% 5%
402 (LV) 50% 42% 2% 4%
Siena College/NYT Upshot September 16–21, 2020 523 (LV) ± 4.9% 41% 38% 5% 16%
University of Georgia September 11–20, 2020 1,150 (LV) ± 4% 47% 45% 4% 5%
Morning Consult September 11–20, 2020 1,406 (LV) ± (2% – 7%) 43% 44% – –
Data For Progress (D) September 14–19, 2020 800 (LV) ± 3.5% 43% 41% 2% 14%
Morning Consult September 8–17, 2020 1,402 (LV) ± (2% – 4%) 43% 43% – –
GBAO Strategies (D) September 14–16, 2020 600 (LV) – 48% 49% – –
Redfield & Wilton Strategies September 12–16, 2020 800 (LV) ± 3.46% 43% 43% – 14%
Fabrizio Ward/Hart Research Associates August 30 – September 5, 2020 800 (LV) ± 3.5% 47% 48% – 5%
Opinion Insight/American Action Forum August 30 – September 2, 2020 800 (LV) ± 3.46% 45% 44% – 11%
HarrisX (D) August 20–30, 2020 1,616 (RV) ± 2.4% 47% 40% 8% 4%
Public Policy Polling August 13–14, 2020 530 (V) ± 4.1% 44% 44% – 11%
Garin-Hart-Yang Research (D) August 10–13, 2020 601 (LV) ± 4.0% 46% 48% – 6%
SurveyUSA August 6–8, 2020 623 (LV) ± 5.3% 44% 41% – 14%
YouGov/CBS July 28–31, 2020 1,101 (LV) ± 3.4% 45% 43% – 13%
HIT Strategies (D) July 23–31, 2020 400 (RV) ± 4.9% 39% 42% – 19%
Monmouth University July 23–27, 2020 402 (RV) ± 4.9% 49% 43% 1% 7%
402 (LV) 50% 43% 1% 6%
402 (LV) 51% 43% 1% 6%
Morning Consult July 17–26, 2020 1,337 (LV) ± 3.0% 45% 42% – 12%
Spry Strategies (R) July 11–16, 2020 700 (LV) ± 3.7% 46% 44% – 10%
Garin-Hart-Yang Research (D) July 9–15, 2020 800 (LV) ± 3.5% 44% 45% – 11%
Gravis Marketing (R) July 2, 2020 513 (LV) ± 4.3% 48% 43% – 9%
Fox News June 20–23, 2020 1,013 (RV) ± 3.0% 45% 42% – 13%
Public Policy Polling June 12–13, 2020 661 (V) ± 3.4% 44% 45% – 11%
Civiqs/Daily Kos May 16–18, 2020 1,339 (RV) ± 3.1% 45% 47% – 7%
The Progress Campaign (D) May 6–15, 2020 2,893 (LV) ± 2.0% 42% 42% – 16%
BK Strategies (R) May 11–13, 2020 700 (LV) ± 3.7% 46% 41% – 13%
Public Opinion Strategies (R) May 4–7, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 43% 41% 7% 8%
Cygnal (R) April 25–27, 2020 591 (LV) ± 4.0% 45% 39% – 16%
The Progress Campaign (D) March 12–21, 2020 3,042 (RV) ± 4.5% 39% 40% – 20%
Hypothetical polling

with Teresa Tomlinson

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		David
Perdue (R) 		Teresa
Tomlinson (D) 		Other /
Undecided
Civiqs/Daily Kos May 16–18 1,339 (RV) ±3.1% 45% 44% 10%
The Progress Campaign (D) May 6–15 2,893 (LV) ± 2% 41% 40% 19%
The Progress Campaign (D) March 12–21 3,042 (RV) ± 4.5% 40% 39% 21%

with Sarah Riggs Amico

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		David
Perdue (R) 		Sarah Riggs
Amico (D) 		Other /
Undecided
Civiqs/Daily Kos May 16–18 1,339 (RV) ±3.1% 45% 42% 13%

with Stacey Abrams

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		David
Perdue (R) 		Stacey
Abrams (D) 		Other /
Undecided
The Progress Campaign (D) March 12–21 3,042 (RV) ± 4.5% 41% 46% 12%

with Generic Democrat

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		David
Perdue (R) 		Generic
Democrat 		Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA November 15–18, 2019 1,303 (LV) ± 3.2% 40% 37% 23%
University of Georgia October 28–30, 2019 1,028 (RV) – 35.1% 21.1% 43.8%

with Generic Republican and Generic Democrat

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Generic
Republican 		Generic
Democrat 		Other /
Undecided
Global Strategy Group (D) March 17–19, 2019 603 (LV) ± 4.0% 40% 42% 18%

Results

No candidate received a majority of the vote on November 3, so the top two finishers—incumbent Republican senator David Perdue (49.7%) and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff (47.9%)—advanced to a runoff election held on January 5, 2021.

Voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected were allowed to submit corrections until 5pm on November 6.

2020 United States Senate election in Georgia
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican David Perdue (incumbent) 2,462,617 49.73% −3.16%
Democratic Jon Ossoff 2,374,519 47.95% +2.74%
Libertarian Shane T. Hazel 115,039 2.32% +0.42%
Total votes 4,952,175 100.0%

By congressional district

Perdue won eight of 14 congressional districts in the general election.

District Ossoff Perdue Elected
Representative
1st 42% 56% Buddy Carter
2nd 54% 44% Sanford Bishop
3rd 36% 62% Drew Ferguson
4th 78% 20% Hank Johnson
5th 84% 14% Nikema Williams
6th 51% 46% Lucy McBath
7th 51% 47% Carolyn Bourdeaux
8th 36% 62% Austin Scott
9th 21% 76% Andrew Clyde
10th 38% 60% Jody Hice
11th 39% 58% Barry Loudermilk
12th 42% 56% Rick W. Allen
13th 75% 23% David Scott
14th 25% 73% Marjorie Taylor Greene

By county

County David Perdue
Republican 		Jon Ossoff
Democratic 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Appling 6,306 77.025% 1,753 21.412% 128 1.563% -4,553 -55.613% 8,187
Atkinson 2,272 73.36% 773 24.96% 52 1.68% -1,499 -3.072% 3,097
Bacon 3,929 85.599% 591 12.876% 70 1.525% 3,338 72.723% 4,590
Baker 873 56.91% 591 42.24% 13 0.85% 282 14.67% 1,746
Baldwin 8,873 49.07% 8,783 48.57% 426 0.85% 90 0.50% 18,082
Banks 7,636 54.27% 899 10.30% 190 2.18% 6,737 43.97% 8,725
Barrow 26,317 69.94% 10,066 26.75% 1,244 3.31% 16,251 43.19% 37,627
Bartow 37,009 73.90% 11,664 23.29% 1,407 2.81% 25,345 50.61% 50,080
Ben Hill 4,077 62.95% 2,284 35.26% 116 1.79% 1,793 27.69% 6,477
Berrien 6,286 82.17% 1,204 15.74% 160 2.09% 5,082 66.43% 6,446
Bibb 26,645 38.07% 41,928 59.91% 1,414 2.02% -15,283 -21.84% 69,987
Bleckley 4,281 75.85% 1,249 22.13% 114 2.02% 3,032 53.72% 5,644
Brantley 6,812 89.44% 688 9.03% 116 1.52% 6,812 80.41% 7,500
Brooks 4,250 60.92% 2,607 37.37% 119 1.71% 1,643 23.55% 6,976
Bryan 14,067 66.47% 6,497 30.70% 599 2.83% 7,570 35.77% 21,163
Bulloch 18,232 61.20% 10,846 36.40% 715 2.40% 7,386 24.80% 29,093
Burke 5,407 51.20265% 4,989 47.24432% 164 1.55303% 418 3.95833% 10,560
Butts 8,329 71.25% 3,129 26.77% 232 1.98% 5,200 44.48% 11,690
Calhoun 933 42.956% 1,211 55.755% 28 1.289% -278 -12.799% 2,172
Camden 14,987 64.19% 7,467 31.98% 895 3.83% 7,520 32.21% 23,349
Candler 3,077 70.41% 1,233 28.22% 60 1.37% 7,520 42.19% 4,370
Carroll 36,997 68.55% 15,549 28.81% 1,427 2.64% 21,448 39.74% 53,973
Catoosa 24,571 76.28% 6,599 20.49% 1,042 3.23% 17,972 55.79% 32,212
Charlton 3,357 74.983% 1,016 22.694% 104 2.323% 2,341 52.289% 4,477
Chatham 52,988 40.19% 75,873 57.55% 2,986 2.26% -22,885 -17.36% 131,847
Chattahoochee 850 54.90956% 636 41.08527% 62 4.00517% 214 13.82429% 1,548
Chattooga 7,777 78.25518% 1,886 18.97766% 275 2.76716% 5,891 59.27752% 9,938
Cherokee 99,384 69.24% 39,928 27.82% 4,214 2.94% 59,456 41.42% 143,526
Clarke 15,078 29.59% 34,549 67.81% 1,323 2.60% -19,471 -38.22% 50,950
Clay 647 45.692% 748 52.825% 21 1.483% -101 -7.133% 1,416
Clayton 14,841 13.36% 93,699 84.38% 2,505 2.26% -78,858 -71.02% 111,045
Clinch 2,083 74.47% 660 23.60% 54 1.93% 1,423 50.87% 2,797
Cobb 169,658 43.41610965% 210,851 53.95755069% 10,263 2.62633966% -41,193 -10.54144104% 390,772
Coffee 4,281 28.557% 10,424 69.535% 286 1.908% 6,143 40.978% 14,991
Colquitt 11,644 73.27% 3,990 25.11% 257 1.62% 7,654 48.16% 15,891
Columbia 50,220 62.85% 27,759 34.74% 1,928 2.41% 22,461 28.11% 79,907
Cook 4,864 69.76% 1,963 28.16% 145 2.08% 2,901 41.60% 6,972
Coweta 51,299 67.39% 22,915 30.10% 1,908 2.51% 28,384 37.29% 76,122
Crawford 4,330 71.86% 1,561 25.90% 135 2.24% 2,769 45.96% 6,026
Crisp 5,054 63.33% 2,809 35.20% 117 2.24% 2,245 28.13% 7,980
Dade 5,871 80.07% 1,253 17.09% 208 2.84% 4,618 62.98% 7,332
Dawson 13,217 83.0005% 2,289 14.3745% 418 2.6250% 10,928 68.6260% 15,924
Decatur 6,696 58.485% 4,563 39.855% 190 1.660% 2,133 18.630% 11,449
DeKalb 61,859 16.826% 298,479 81.187% 7,305 1.987% -236,620 -64.361% 367,643
Dodge 5,793 72.85% 2,021 25.41% 138 1.74% 3,772 47.44% 7,952
Dooly 2,158 53.166% 1,826 44.986% 75 1.848% 332 8.180% 4,059
Dougherty 10,588 30.33% 23,821 68.23% 502 1.44% -13,233 -37.90% 34,911
Douglas 25,002 36.53% 41,796 61.07% 1,643 2.40% -16,794 -24.54% 68,441
Early 2,796 54.77% 2,232 43.72% 77 1.51% 564 11.05% 5,105
Echols 1,232 86.8829337% 162 11.4245416% 24 1.6925247% 1,070 75.4583921% 1,418
Effingham 22,832 72.90% 7,627 24.35% 860 2.75% 15,205 48.55% 31,319
Totals 2,462,617 49.73% 2,374,519 47.95% 115,039 2.32% 88,098 1.78% 4,952,175

Runoff

The runoff election between Perdue and Ossoff was on January 5, 2021, alongside the special election for the other Senate seat held by Republican Kelly Loeffler, to fill the remainder of Johnny Isakson's unexpired term (which expired in 2023). Loeffler was defeated by Raphael Warnock in that special election.

Following the 2020 Senate elections, Republicans held 50 Senate seats and the Democratic caucus 48. Since Democrats won both Georgia runoffs, their caucus gained control of the Senate, as the resultant 50–50 tie is broken by Democratic vice president Kamala Harris. If the Democrats had lost either race, Republicans would have retained control of the Senate. The high political stakes caused the races to attract significant nationwide attention. These elections are the third and fourth Senate runoff elections to be held in Georgia since runoffs were first mandated in 1964, following runoffs in 1992 and 2008. It is also the third time that both of Georgia's Senate seats have been up for election at the same time, following double-barrel elections in 1914 and 1932.

The deadline for registration for the runoff election was December 7, 2020. Absentee ballots for the runoff election were sent out beginning on November 18, and in-person voting began on December 14. Ossoff's runoff campaign largely focused around accusing Perdue of corruption as well as aggressively courting Black voters in an attempt to drive up turnout, while Perdue characterised Ossoff as a socialist and accused him of having ties to the People's Republic of China. Perdue's campaign was hampered by his refusal to state that Joe Biden had won that year's presidential election, which made it exceedingly difficult for him to argue that an Ossoff victory would create a Democratic trifecta.

As Ossoff and Warnock were both sworn in on January 20, 2021 shortly after the start of the Biden administration, Ossoff became Georgia's senior senator and Democrats simultaneously held both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats for the first time since 2003.

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report Tossup January 4, 2021
Inside Elections Tossup December 14, 2020
Sabato's Crystal Ball Tossup January 5, 2021

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2020
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Jon Ossoff (D) $156,146,537 $151,814,804 $4,331,733
David Perdue (R) $102,722,245 $90,354,529 $12,414,00
Source: Federal Election Commission

Polling

Aggregate polls

Source of poll
aggregation 		Dates
administered 		Dates
updated 		David
Perdue
Republican 		Jon
Ossoff
Democratic 		Undecided
 Margin
270 To Win Dec 30, 2020 – January 4, 2021 January 4, 2021 47.4% 50.2% 2.4% Ossoff +2.8
RealClearPolitics Dec 14, 2020 – January 4, 2021 January 5, 2021 48.8% 49.3% 1.9% Ossoff +0.5
538 Nov 9, 2020 – January 4, 2021 January 5, 2021 47.4% 49.1% 3.5% Ossoff +1.8
Average 47.9% 49.5% 2.6% Ossoff +1.7

This section also contains pre-runoff polls excluding all candidates except head-to-head matchups.

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		David
Perdue (R) 		Jon
Ossoff (D) 		Undecided
Trafalgar Group (R) January 2–4, 2021 1,056 (LV) ± 2.9% 49% 49% 2%
AtlasIntel January 2–4, 2021 857 (LV) ± 3% 47% 51% 2%
InsiderAdvantage January 3, 2021 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 49% 49% 3%
National Research Inc January 2–3, 2021 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 45% 46% 9%
University of Nevada Las Vegas Lee Business School December 30, 2020 – January 3, 2021 550 (LV) ± 4% 49% 48% 3%
Targoz Market Research December 30, 2020 – January 3, 2021 713 (LV) ± 3.7% 50% 50% 0%
1,342 (RV) 47% 51% 2%
AtlasIntel December 25, 2020 – January 1, 2021 1,680 (LV) ± 2% 47% 51% 2%
Gravis Marketing December 29–30, 2020 1,011 (LV) ± 3.1% 47% 50% 3%
JMC Analytics and Polling December 28–29, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 45% 53% 2%
Trafalgar Group (R) December 23–27, 2020 1,022 (LV) ± 3.0% 48% 50% 2%
Open Model Project December 21–27, 2020 1,405 (LV) ± 4.7% 50% 46% 4%
InsiderAdvantage December 21–22, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 49% 48% 3%
Mellman Group December 18–22, 2020 578 (LV) ± 4.1% 47% 50% 3%
Reconnect Research/Probolsky Research December 14–22, 2020 1,027 (LV) ± 4% 43% 42% 15%
SurveyUSA December 16–20, 2020 600 (LV) ± 5.1% 46% 51% 3%
Trafalgar Group (R) December 14–16, 2020 1,064 (LV) ± 3.0% 50% 48% 2%
Emerson College December 14–16, 2020 605 (LV) ± 3.9% 51% 48% 1%
InsiderAdvantage December 14, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 49% 48% 3%
Wick December 10–14, 2020 1,500 (LV) – 51% 47% 2%
RMG Research December 8–14, 2020 1,417 (LV) ± 2.6% 47% 49% 4%
Baris/Peach State Battleground Poll December 4–11, 2020 1,008 (LV) ± 3.1% 45% 47% 9%
Trafalgar Group (R) December 8–10, 2020 1,018 (LV) ± 3.0% 49% 49% 2%
Fabrizio Ward/Hart Research Associates November 30 – December 4, 2020 1,250 (LV) ± 3.2% 46% 48% 6%
Trafalgar Group (R) December 1–3, 2020 1,083 (LV) ± 2.9% 47% 48% 5%
SurveyUSA November 27–30, 2020 583 (LV) ± 5.2% 48% 50% 2%
RMG Research November 19–24, 2020 1,377 (LV) ± 2.6% 47% 48% 5%
Data For Progress (D) November 15–20, 2020 1,476 (LV) ± 2.6% 50% 48% 3%
InsiderAdvantage November 16, 2020 800 (LV) ± 3.5% 49% 49% 2%
Remington Research Group November 8–9, 2020 1,450 (LV) ± 2.6% 50% 46% 4%
Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group (D) October 11–14, 2020 600 (LV) – 45% 50% 5%
Data For Progress (D) September 14–19, 2020 800 (LV) ± 3.5% 44% 44% 12%
Hypothetical polling

with Generic Republican and Generic Democrat

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Generic
Republican 		Generic
Democrat 		Undecided
RMG Research/PoliticalIQ December 8–14, 2020 1,377 (LV) ± 2.6% 46% 42% 11%
Quinnipiac University September 23–27, 2020 1,125 (LV) ± 2.9% 48% 49% 3%

Results

Ossoff won Washington and Baldwin counties in the runoff, after having lost them in the general election.

2021 United States Senate election in Georgia runoff
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jon Ossoff 2,269,923 50.61% N/A
Republican David Perdue 2,214,979 49.39% N/A
Total votes 4,484,902 100.00% N/A
Democratic gain from Republican

By county

By congressional district

Despite losing the statewide runoff, Perdue held onto the eight congressional districts he had previously won in the general election.

District Ossoff Perdue Elected
Representative
1st 44% 56% Buddy Carter
2nd 57% 43% Sanford Bishop
3rd 38% 62% Drew Ferguson
4th 81% 19% Hank Johnson
5th 87% 13% Nikema Williams
6th 53% 47% Lucy McBath
7th 53% 47% Carolyn Bourdeaux
8th 38% 62% Austin Scott
9th 23% 77% Andrew Clyde
10th 40% 60% Jody Hice
11th 41% 59% Barry Loudermilk
12th 44% 56% Rick W. Allen
13th 78% 22% David Scott
14th 26% 74% Marjorie Taylor Greene

See also

  • Fair Fight Action
  • Voter suppression in the United States 2019–2020: Georgia
  • 2020 Georgia (U.S. state) elections

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