The Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock was born in Savannah, GA, and grew up in public housing as the 11th of 12 children. His parents, both Pentecostal pastors, were inspiring examples of faith in action who strongly supported his aspirations. Graduating from Morehouse College with the help of government loans, he went on to earn his MDiv, MPhil, and PhD from Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary. Today, he is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, which ordained Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960. Warnock delivered the benediction for President Barack Obama’s second inauguration and most recently presided at the funerals of Rayshard Brooks and Rep. John Lewis. 

Competitive After announcing his candidacy on January 30, Warnock out-raised the previous Democratic front-runner and son of vice-president nominee Joe Lieberman, Matt Lieberman. However, Lieberman continues to fight for the Democratic nomination. Supporting Warnock today will help establish him as the clear Democratic front-runner from the current field of 20+ candidates.

If the Democratic field coalesces behind him, Warnock should benefit from Biden’s lead Georgia and win the majority outright in November.  However, doing so will require a concerted effort among Democratic donors to fully fund his campaign.

Compatible Warnock has woven together a deep accountability to his Christian faith with issues of modern progressivism. He has carried on the legacy of King by leading voter registration drives and arguing against the death penalty and for LGBTQ rights. He is a strong supporter of women’s health and the pro-choice movement. He has been nationally recognized for his support of affordable healthcare, having been arrested in the U.S. Capitol while protesting the GOP’s proposed healthcare legislation in 2017.

Warnock has advocated both within Georgia and nationally on environmental and racial justice in the age of climate change, saying in early 2019:

While the damage being done to the environment right now impacts us all, it continues to have a disproportionate impact on the poor, the black and the brown, at home and around the world. That’s why civil rights and human rights activists must stand with climate change activists and offer a vision of the beloved community that defends the dignity of every human being as our sister or brother and the earth as our mother. Dr. King’s words ring with new meaning: “We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.”

Warnock is a passionate advocate for prison reform, speaking movingly of the experience of his brother who, due to COVID-19 concerns, was recently released from prison where he had been serving a life sentence as a first-time offender for a non-violent drug offense.

Cost-Effective Georgia is a state where President Trump has a favorability rating in the mid- to high-40’s, making Warnock’s race comparable to the setting of Mark Kelly’s fight for the Senate seat in Arizona. However, Kelly entered the race almost a year earlier, allowing him to raise over $43 million compared to $4.3 million for Warnock. National donors who move quickly and decisively can ensure that Warnock has the resources needed to compete and campaign effectively.