Raphael Warnock Born in Savannah

Summary

Raphael Gamaliel Warnock was born on July 23, 1969, in Savannah, Georgia. Raised in a large family, he attended Morehouse College and later earned graduate degrees from Union Theological Seminary in New York. Warnock built a career as a Baptist minister and became senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church in 2005, the congregation historically associated with Martin Luther King Jr. His public work included advocacy on voting rights, health care, poverty, and criminal justice. Warnock entered electoral politics as the Democratic candidate in Georgia's 2020 special U.S. Senate election. He won the January 2021 runoff against incumbent Kelly Loeffler, becoming Georgia's first Black U.S. senator. He won a full six-year term in another runoff election in 2022. Warnock has served on committees dealing with agriculture, banking, commerce, aging, and other areas while continuing his pastoral role. His political career remains ongoing.