Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock
✓ VERIFIEDAbout
Senator Reverend Raphael Gamaliel Warnock (born July 23, 1969) is an American politician and Baptist minister serving as the junior United States Senator from Georgia since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he made history as the first Black person elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia and the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from a Southern state.
Background & Ministry
Early Life: Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Warnock grew up in public housing as the eleventh of twelve children born to Pentecostal pastors Jonathan and Verlene Warnock.
Education: He graduated from Morehouse College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Inspired by the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., he went on to earn a Master of Divinity, Master of Philosophy, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in systematic theology from Union Theological Seminary in New York.
Ebenezer Baptist Church: Since 2005, Warnock has served as the senior pastor at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church—the former pulpit of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—becoming the youngest person selected to hold the leadership role. He continues to serve as pastor while holding public office.
Political CareerElection to the U.S. Senate: Warnock won a high-profile special election runoff on January 5, 2021, defeating incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler. He won election to a full six-year term in December 2022 by defeating Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
Legislative Focus: In the Senate, Warnock has focused heavily on lowering healthcare costs (such as successfully championing a cap on insulin costs for seniors), expanding Medicaid access, protecting voting rights, addressing maternal mortality, and advocating for infrastructure and agriculture.
Committee Assignments: His committee assignments include the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and the Special Committee on Aging.