A local political analyst and party leaders commented on the Georgia runoff election and explained how it could make an impact in Pennsylvania.
As voters in Pennsylvania flipped the Senate seat from Republican to Democrat, Republican voters in Georgia are now looking to make the same impact. The chair of the political science department of Mercyhurst University said as the Georgia runoff election continues, it paints a bigger picture for 2024.
“What’s at stake in Georgia is no longer control of U.S. Senate. The Democrats have already won that but what is at control is the ability for Democrats to feel more confident going into the 2024 elections,” said Joe Morris, chair of the political science department, Mercyhurst University.
Morris added that the results of the runoff election will give an insight as to what voters are thinking for 2024. He said with the 50/50 divide between Democrats and Republicans, it makes it harder for Democrats to control the function of boards and committees.
“If the Democrats win this runoff election in Georgia, they’re going to be able to have a majority of Democrats on committee seats which makes a huge difference for democrats’ control of the U.S. Senate,” Morris added. “By having this little extra cushion, Democrats are going to be in a better position to hold onto the U.S. Senate in 2024.”
The chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party said if candidate Raphael Warnock secures the Senate seat, it could play a crucial role in the U.S. Senate for Democrats.
“That additional vote can be incredibly meaningful especially when you’re talking about important legislation like immigration reform, like education funding, and other priorities of this administration,” said Jim Wertz, chairman, Erie County Democratic Party.
Wertz said the act of getting people to vote in a runoff election is not as simple as voting in a General Election.
“People spend a lot of energy and a lot of investment in the General Election just a month ago. Whether or not those folks feel as strongly about Herschel Walker and decide to come out again today remains to be seen,” Wertz added.
We reached out to the Erie County Republican Committee (ECRC) for comment. The vice chair Cliff Smathers, vice chair of the ECRC, said he felt the run-off election will not make an impact for Pennsylvania one way or another.