ATLANTA (AP) – Former President Barack Obama endorsed the Rev. Raphael Warnock in Georgia’s special U.S. Senate election on Friday, providing a boost as the candidate looks to consolidate support in order to win a spot in a potential runoff.
The nod was among dozens of endorsements of Democratic candidates across the country released by Obama on Twitter.
Warnock, who is pastor of the Atlanta church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, is one of 20 candidates challenging Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler for the seat she was appointed to by Georgia’s governor 9 months ago.
Even with broad support from party leaders, Warnock has struggled somewhat to connect with voters. He has consistently ranked just behind Loeffler and Republican Rep. Doug Collins in public polling, though he has been on the rise in recent weeks.
That’s raised fears among Democrats that they could get locked out of a Jan. 5 runoff, required by state law if no candidate tops 50% on Nov. 3. It’s also led to a pressure campaign to push other Democrats, including Matt Lieberman, an educator and son of former Sen. Joe Lieberman, out of the race in order to consolidate support behind Warnock.