As clashes over coronavirus-related restrictions on business and religious gatherings escalate to the level of the Supreme Court, Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock have offered differing visions of how to combat the pandemic ahead of the state’s all-important runoff election.
Democratic governors in several states, including New York and California, have imposed attendance limits on houses of worship and other gathering places because of a “second wave” of the pandemic.
FAST FACTS
- Government response to the coronavirus pandemic is a central issue in both of Georgia’s Senate runoff races
- Georgia health officials have urged local places of worship to adhere to coronavirus safety measures, including social distancing.
The debate over public religious gatherings during a deadly global pandemic presents a unique dilemma for Warnock, who has been the senior pastor at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2005. The reverend, who has repeatedly attacked Loeffler for failing to secure additional coronavirus relief for Georgians, has not publicly commented on the legal battles over religious restrictions in other states.
Control of the Senate will hinge on whether Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., will beat 33-year-old Democratic media executive Jon Ossoff and whether Loeffler, R-Ga., will defeat Warnock.
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