Democrat Raphael Warnock pays tribute to his mother, who 'used to pick somebody else's cotton,' for voting for him in the Georgia runoffs

warnock victory speech — Rev. Raphael Warnock
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During his victory speech early Wednesday morning, Senator-elect Raphael Warnock paid tribute to his mother and her journey from growing up in the Jim Crow South to voting for her son.
"The other day, because this is America, the 82-year-old hands that used to pick somebody else's cotton went to the polls and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator."
Warnock's mother, Verlene, worked as a Pentecostal preacher along with his father, Jonathan.
The Georgia Democrat defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler Tuesday night in the Peach State's runoff election, as called by Decision Desk Headquarters and Insider.
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Democratic Senator-elect Raphael Warnock gave a tribute to his mother early Wednesday morning during his victory speech, putting the occasion in historical perspective.

Along with its partners at Decision Desk HQ, Insider declared Warnock the victor in his Georgia runoff race against Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler just before 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday night.

Warnock gave a victory speech around an hour later after midnight.

"The other day, because this is America, the 82 year old hands that used to pick somebody else's cotton went to the polls and picked her youngest son to be a United States senator," Warnock said of his mother, Verlene.

—Haleigh Hoffman (@HaleighHoffman) January 6, 2021

Warnock earned a historic victory against Loeffler. He will be the first Black senator representing Georgia in the state's history, and only the second Black senator from the South since reconstruction, the first being Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

Following in the footsteps of his mother Verlene and his father Jonathan, Warnock pursued a career as a preacher, working for the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the same congregation once led by Martin Luther King Jr.

"So I come before you tonight as a man who knows that the improbable journey that led me to this place, in this historic moment in America, could only happen here," Warnock said. "We were told that we couldn't win this election, but tonight, we proved that with hope, hard work, and the people by our side, anything is possible."

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