Washington: President-elect Joe Biden called on voters in the state of Georgia to turn out in record numbers for US Senate runoffs and promised that their choice on Tuesday will chart a course for the next generation.
Runoffs offer Democrats a rare chance to consolidate the executive and legislative branches of power under their control.
"Now we need you to vote again in record numbers, to make your voices heard, again and again, to change Georgia, to change America again. And this is not an exaggeration... One state can chart the course not just for the next four years, but for the next generation," Biden said at a rally in Atlanta.
The runoffs pitted Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler against Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock after no candidate captured 50 per cent plus one vote on Election Day in November.
Democrats, who already lead the House of Representatives and have reclaimed the White House in a presidential race victorious for Biden, need to win both seats for a 50-50 majority with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes. A single-seat will be enough for Republicans to retain their sway over the Senate and allow them to block much of Biden's legislative agenda in a split government situation.
