The 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the U.S. Senate to represent the state of Georgia. Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock won his first full term in office, defeating Republican former football player Herschel Walker. Under Georgia's two-round system, Warnock was re-elected in a runoff election on December 6 after neither candidate received over 50% of the vote on November 8. Warnock's win was the only statewide victory for Democrats in Georgia in 2022.
Warnock, who won a shortened term to the seat in a 2020–21 special election, was nominated in the May 24 primary with 96% of the vote against minimal opposition. Walker, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, won the Republican nomination with 68% of the vote over former state agriculture commissioner Gary Black. It was the first U.S. Senate election in Georgia history and among five nationwide since the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 in which both major party nominees were Black.
In the November 8 election, Warnock received 49.4% of the vote and Walker received 48.5%, triggering the December 6 runoff. Warnock defeated Walker by a 2.8% margin in the runoff, becoming the first African-American from Georgia elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate and the first Democrat to win a full term at this seat since Wyche Fowler in 1986. Warnock's victory also secured an outright majority for Senate Democrats for the first time since 2015, with a net gain of one seat in the 2022 midterms. This was the first time since 1998 that Georgia voted for different parties for U.S. senator and governor in the same election cycle. It was the third-closest Senate election of the 2022 midterms after Nevada and Wisconsin.
Democratic primary Warnock easily won renomination in the Democratic primary over Tamara Johnson-Shealey, a left-wing activist and businesswoman, who ran a low-profile campaign focused around reparations for slavery.
Candidates
Nominee Raphael Warnock, incumbent U.S. Senator
Eliminated in primary Tamara Johnson-Shealey, DeKalb County businesswoman and perennial candidate
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error RaphaelWarnock TamaraJohnson-Shealey UndecidedEmerson CollegeEmerson CollegeApril 1–3, 2022453 (LV)± 4.6%85%6%10%
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee Herschel Walker, former running back for the Georgia Bulldogs, former professional football player, and former co-chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition and CEO of Renaissance Man Food Services
Eliminated in primary Gary Black, former Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia Josh Clark, former state representative and businessman Kelvin King, U.S. Air Force veteran, businessman, and founder of Osprey Management Jonathan McColumn, former U.S. Army Special Forces brigadier general and pastor Latham Saddler, former director of intelligence programs on the National Security Council and former Navy SEAL officer
Declined Christopher M. Carr, Attorney General of Georgia (ran for re-election) Buddy Carter, U.S. Representative for (ran for re-election; endorsed Walker) Doug Collins, former U.S. Representative for and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020 Geoff Duncan, former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia and former state representative Randy Evans, former U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg (endorsed Walker) Drew Ferguson, U.S. Representative for (ran for re-election) Vernon Jones, former Democratic state representative and CEO of DeKalb County (ran for the U.S. House in GA-10) Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia (ran for re-election) Jack Kingston, former U.S. Representative for Kelly Loeffler, former U.S. Senator (endorsed Walker) Harold Melton, former chief justice of Georgia Supreme Court David Perdue, former U.S. Senator (initially filed paperwork; ran for Governor) David Ralston, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives
Debates 2022 United States Senate Republican primary election in Georgia debatesDateOrganizerLocationKey: Participant Absent Non-invitee Invitee WithdrawnSourceGary BlackJosh ClarkKelvin KingJonathan McColumnLatham SaddlerHerschel Walker1April 9, 2022Georgia's 9th congressional district Republican PartyGainesville P P P P P A 2May 3, 2022Atlanta Press Club,Georgia Public BroadcastingAtlanta P P P P P A
Endorsements
Polling
Aggregate polls Source of pollaggregationDatesadministeredDatesupdated GaryBlack JoshClark KelvinKing JonathanMcColumn LathamSaddler HerschelWalker OtherMarginReal Clear PoliticsReal Clear PoliticsMay 12–23, 2022May 24, 20229.0%2.7%4.0%1.7%9.0%64.7%12.9%Walker +55.7 Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error GaryBlack JoshClark KelvinKing JonathanMcColumn LathamSaddler HerschelWalker Other UndecidedThe Trafalgar Group (R)The Trafalgar Group (R)May 21–23, 20221,074 (LV)± 2.9%10%3%4%2%10%67%–4%Landmark Communications (R)Landmark Communications (R)May 22, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%9%3%5%2%12%60%–9%Fox NewsFox NewsMay 12–16, 20221,004 (LV)± 3.0%8%2%3%1%5%66%1%11%ARW Strategies (R)April 30 – May 1, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%10%1%3%1%4%59%–23%SurveyUSASurveyUSAApril 22–27, 2022559 (LV)± 4.8%6%3%2%2%3%62%–21%University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaApril 10–22, 2022886 (LV)± 3.3%7%1%1%1%2%66%–23%Landmark Communications (R)Landmark Communications (R)April 9–10, 2022660 (LV)± 3.8%9%3%4%0%5%64%–14%Spry Strategies (R)Spry Strategies (R)April 6–10, 2022600 (LV)± 4.0%7%2%4%–2%64%–21%University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaMarch 20 – April 8, 2022~329 (LV)± 5.4%8%0%2%0%2%64%–24%Emerson CollegeApril 1–3, 2022509 (LV)± 4.3%13%4%5%3%2%57%2%16%Fox NewsFox NewsMarch 2–6, 2022914 (LV)± 3.0%8%1%3%–2%66%1%16%InsiderAdvantage (R)February 28 – March 1, 2022750 (LV)± 3.6%6%3%4%–3%63%2%20%The Trafalgar Group (R)The Trafalgar Group (R)February 11–13, 20221,072 (LV)± 3.0%6%–2%–3%70%–19%Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac UniversityJanuary 19–24, 2022666 (LV)± 3.8%6%0%2%–1%81%0%9%OnMessage Inc. (R)OnMessage Inc. (R)October 11–14, 2021400 (LV)± 4.9%6%–1%–1%74%2%16%The Trafalgar Group (R)The Trafalgar Group (R)September 2–4, 20211,078 (LV)± 3.0%6%–2%–3%76%–13%Fabrizio Lee (R)Fabrizio Lee (R)August 11–12, 2021500 (LV)± 4.4%5%–2%–1%54%3%35%
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DougCollins Marjorie KellyLoeffler HerschelWalker UndecidedOnMessage Inc. (R)OnMessage Inc. (R)March 14–15, 2021600 (LV)± 4.0%35%7%22%27%11%Trafalgar Group/InsiderAdvantageTrafalgar Group/InsiderAdvantageMarch 7–9, 2021– (LV)–33%–24%33%11%
Primary runoff polling Doug Collins vs. Kelly Loeffler Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DougCollins KellyLoeffler UndecidedOnMessage Inc. (R)March 14–15, 2021600 (LV)± 4.0%55%36%10%Trafalgar Group/InsiderAdvantageMarch 7–9, 2021– (LV)–52%32%16%
Herschel Walker vs. Doug Collins Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error HerschelWalker DougCollins UndecidedTrafalgar Group/InsiderAdvantageMarch 7–9, 2021– (LV)–50%36%14%
Herschel Walker vs. Kelly Loeffler Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error HerschelWalker KellyLoeffler UndecidedTrafalgar Group/InsiderAdvantageMarch 7–9, 2021– (LV)–62%26%11%
Results
Libertarian primary
Candidates Declared Chase Oliver, chair of the Atlanta Libertarian Party, customer service specialist, and candidate for Georgia's 5th congressional district in the 2020 House of Representatives special election. Oliver was the first openly gay Senate candidate in Georgia.
General election
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report March 4, 2022 Inside Elections April 1, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 7, 2022PoliticoApril 1, 2022RCPFebruary 24, 2022Fox News October 25, 2022DDHQOctober 25, 2022FiveThirtyEightNovember 7, 2022The EconomistNovember 1, 2022
Debates + 2022 United States Senate general election in Georgia debates Date Host Moderator Link Democratic Republican LibertarianKey: Participant Absent Not invited Invited Withdrawn Raphael Warnock Herschel Walker Chase Oliver1 Oct. 14, 2022 Nexstar Media Group Buck LanfordTina Tyus-Shaw 2 Oct. 16, 2022 Georgia Public Broadcasting Scott Slade A
Endorsements
Polling Aggregate polls Source of pollaggregationDatesadministeredDatesupdated RaphaelWarnock (D) HerschelWalker (R) OtherMarginReal Clear PoliticsReal Clear PoliticsOctober 29 – November 7, 2022November 7, 202247.4%48.8%3.8%Walker +1.4FiveThirtyEightFiveThirtyEightOctober 13 – November 7, 2022November 7, 202246.7%47.7%5.69%Walker +1.0270ToWin270ToWinNovember 4–7, 2022November 7, 202247.3%48.5%5.1%Walker +1.2Average47.1%48.3%4.6%Walker +1.2