Warnock, Raphael G.

Raphael Warnock is a Democratic U.S. Senator from Georgia, first elected in a 2021 special election and re-elected to a full term in 2022. He made history as the first Black Senator to represent Georgia. Before entering politics, he established a prominent career in the ministry, serving since 2005 as the senior pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the former pulpit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Raised in public housing in Savannah, he was the first in his family to graduate from a four-year college, earning degrees from Morehouse College and Union Theological Seminary.

In the Senate, he holds several influential committee assignments, including the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and the Committee on Finance. His legislative work frequently centers on economic and social equity, with a particular focus on expanding healthcare access, protecting voting rights, and addressing the affordable housing crisis. He has been a vocal advocate for capping insulin costs and improving maternal health outcomes.

His notable legislative efforts include sponsoring the Kira Johnson Act to address maternal mortality and the HBCU Research Capacity Act to support historically Black colleges and universities. He has also championed the ROAD to Housing Act to boost housing supply and affordability. Throughout his tenure, he has utilized his background as a pastor to frame policy issues as moral imperatives, frequently working on bipartisan initiatives related to Georgia’s forestry and agricultural industries.