Raphael Warnock
Born 1969 · Age 56
American Baptist pastor and Democratic politician; senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church (since 2005) and U.S. Senator from Georgia (since 2021). Advocated for Medicaid expansion, voting rights, criminal justice reform, and health-care measures.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Savannah, Georgia
Born Raphael Gamaliel Warnock in Savannah, Georgia to Pentecostal pastors Jonathan and Verlene Warnock.
Preached first sermon
Delivered his first sermon at age 11, early sign of vocation in ministry.
Graduated Sol C. Johnson High School
Graduated high school; was senior class president and participated in Upward Bound and early college courses at Savannah State University.
Assistant / Youth Pastor at Abyssinian Baptist Church (NYC)
Served as youth pastor and then assistant pastor at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem during the 1990s.
Summer internship at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church
Did a formative summer internship at Sixth Avenue Baptist in Birmingham, Alabama; credited with shifting his faith toward social activism.
Earned BA from Morehouse College
Graduated cum laude from Morehouse College with a B.A. in psychology; first in his family to graduate from a four-year college.
Earned Master of Divinity (Union Theological Seminary)
Completed an MDiv at Union Theological Seminary (per Britannica: 1994).
Abyssinian hosted Fidel Castro event (not clearly Warnock's decision)
Abyssinian hosted Fidel Castro on Oct 22, 1995 while Warnock was youth pastor; sources say no evidence Warnock was involved in the decision.
Public opposition to workfare policy
As an Abyssinian leader, publicly opposed NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani's workfare reforms (NYT coverage quoting Warnock).
Elected senior pastor of Douglas Memorial Community Church
Elected senior pastor in Baltimore, Maryland; served as senior pastor from 2001 to 2005.
Arrested/charged during child-abuse investigation (charges later dropped)
Warnock and an assistant were arrested/charged for allegedly obstructing a 2002 police investigation of suspected child abuse at a church-run summer camp; charges later dropped.
Named senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church
On Father's Day 2005, became senior pastor at Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church—the former pulpit of Martin Luther King Jr.; youngest person to serve in that role.
Earned Ph.D. (Union Theological Seminary)
Completed doctoral studies in theology (Union Theological Seminary) — Ph.D. completion reported by Britannica in 2006.
Received honorary degrees and institutional awards
Has received honorary degrees from Morehouse School of Medicine, Fisk University, and the University of the Virgin Islands; multiple local and national honors (Union Medal, Bennie Trailblazer, etc.).
Named to The Root 100 (multiple years)
Recognized on The Root 100 list in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 for influence and leadership.
Advocated for clemency for Troy Davis
As pastor, publicly campaigned for clemency for death-row inmate Troy Davis before his 2011 execution.
Delivered benediction at Obama's second inauguration public prayer service
Delivered the benediction at the public prayer service for President Barack Obama's second inauguration.
Wrote editorial criticizing Georgia governor over prom integration
Wrote an Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial criticizing Gov. Nathan Deal for not supporting an integrated prom at Wilcox County High School.
Published 'The Divided Mind of the Black Church'
Published his book The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety, and Public Witness (NYU Press).
Support for criminal justice reform and death penalty opposition
Consistent public advocacy against the death penalty and for criminal justice reform (longstanding stance amplified by high-profile cases).
Led Medicaid expansion sit-in; arrested at Georgia State Capitol
Led a sit-in to press state legislators to accept Medicaid expansion under the ACA; was arrested during the protest.
Proposed to Oulèye Ndoye
Proposed to Oulèye Ndoye in front of Ebenezer Baptist Church congregation on New Year's Eve 2015.
Feet placed on International Civil Rights Walk of Fame
Honored in 2016 when his footprints were placed on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame (recognition for activism).
Married Oulèye Ndoye (public ceremony)
Held a public wedding ceremony at Ebenezer on Feb 14, 2016 (private ceremony held earlier in January 2016).
Arrested at U.S. Capitol demonstration
Arrested along with other clergy during a peaceful demonstration against proposed federal budget cuts that year.
Became chair of New Georgia Project
Assumed chairmanship of the New Georgia Project (founded by Stacey Abrams), focusing on voter registration and turnout in Georgia; served until January 2020.
Hosted interfaith climate meeting at Ebenezer
Hosted a high-profile interfaith meeting on climate featuring Al Gore and William Barber II.
Separated from spouse
Warnock and Oulèye Ndoye separated in November 2019; divorce later finalized in 2020.
Received major endorsements
Endorsed by prominent Democrats including Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Stacey Abrams, multiple U.S. senators, and the DSCC during the 2020 campaign.
Announced run for U.S. Senate special election
Declared candidacy in January 2020 for the special U.S. Senate election in Georgia to fill Kelly Loeffler's appointed seat.
Allegation of running over spouse's foot (denied)
During divorce proceedings Ndoye alleged Warnock ran over her foot with his car during an argument in March 2020; police did not charge Warnock and found no clear injury evidence.
Presided at Representative John Lewis's funeral
Presided over the public funeral service for Rep. John Lewis at Ebenezer Baptist Church in July 2020.
Top vote-getter in November special election (no majority)
Received 1,617,035 votes (32.90%) in the Nov 3, 2020 special election; advanced to a runoff (no candidate reached 50%).
Committee assignments in the 117th Congress
Assigned to Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry; Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science & Transportation; and the Special Committee on Aging. Held chair roles on specific subcommittees (e.g., Financial Institutions & Consumer Protection subcommittee).
Won Georgia special election runoff vs. Kelly Loeffler
Defeated incumbent Kelly Loeffler in the Jan 5, 2021 runoff with 2,289,113 votes (51.04%), becoming the first African American U.S. Senator from Georgia.
Kelly Loeffler conceded
Kelly Loeffler publicly conceded the Senate runoff race.
Election certified by Georgia
Georgia certified Warnock's Jan 5, 2021 runoff election results on January 19, 2021.
Sworn into the U.S. Senate
Sworn into the U.S. Senate by Vice President Kamala Harris; escorted by Senator Tim Kaine; began serving as junior U.S. Senator from Georgia.
Voted to convict former President Trump in impeachment trial
Voted to convict Donald Trump for inciting the Jan 6 Capitol attack.
Co-sponsored amendment to raise federal minimum wage to $15
Joined 29 other Democratic and independent senators in co-sponsoring an amendment to increase the federal minimum wage to $15/hour.
Delivered first Senate floor speech
Gave his maiden speech on the Senate floor advocating the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
Controversial Easter tweet and deletion
A staff-posted tweet on Easter asserted a broad interpretation of the holiday; it was criticized and subsequently deleted with a staff explanation.
Testified before Senate Judiciary Committee on voting rights
Testified alongside Stacey Abrams in favor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act.
Secured ARP funding for Georgia health centers
Warnock and Sen. Ossoff helped obtain federal American Rescue Plan funding for Georgia health centers; each center received between $500,000 and $1,100,000.
Infrastructure Act included Interstate 14 prioritization
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Nov 2021) included prioritization of Interstate 14, an initiative Warnock supported to link parts of Georgia to Texas and support military/economic development.
Introduced resolution honoring Johnny Isakson
After former Sen. Johnny Isakson's death, Warnock introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution honoring him (enacted with bipartisan support).
Maternal health bill provisions enacted
A bipartisan maternal health bill co-authored by Warnock was incorporated into a $1.5 trillion federal spending package; included $50M for integrated healthcare grants, $45M for innovation, $25M for training.
Published memoir 'A Way Out of No Way'
Published A Way Out of No Way: A Memoir of Truth, Transformation, and the New American Story (Penguin Press) in June 2022.
Inflation Reduction Act included Warnock-backed drug cost caps
The IRA (Aug 2022) included provisions Warnock championed: a $2,000 annual cap on some drug costs for seniors and a $35 monthly cap on insulin costs for Medicare enrollees.
Cape Street renamed 'Raphael Warnock Way' (honorary)
Savannah honorarily renamed Cape Street—where Warnock grew up—as Raphael Warnock Way.
Placed first in general election for full Senate term (no majority)
Received 1,946,117 votes (49.44%) in the Nov 8, 2022 general election for U.S. Senate; advanced to a runoff with Herschel Walker.
Won Senate reelection in runoff vs. Herschel Walker
Defeated Herschel Walker in the Dec 6, 2022 runoff with 1,820,633 votes (51.40%), winning a full six-year Senate term.
Published children's book 'Put Your Shoes On & Get Ready!'
Released a children's book in January 2023 (Penguin Random House).
Voted against SAFE Banking Act on Banking Committee
Was the only Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee to vote against the SAFER Banking Act which would provide banking safe harbor to state-legal cannabis businesses.
Senate speech on Israeli-Palestinian peace
Delivered a Senate speech emphasizing American leadership toward Israeli-Palestinian peace, calling for ceasefire, hostage releases, humanitarian corridors, and a two-state solution.
Signed letter urging US recognition of 'nonmilitarized' Palestinian state
One of 19 Democratic senators to sign a letter to the Biden administration urging recognition of a 'nonmilitarized' Palestinian state after the Gaza war.
Voted for Israel-related arms-sale blocking measures
Voted for three measures proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders to block certain offensive arms sales to Israel (measures would have blocked approx. $20B in sales).
New Georgia Project fined for campaign finance violations
The New Georgia Project (which Warnock chaired 2017–2020) admitted to 16 violations and was ordered to pay $300,000 by the Georgia State Ethics Commission in 2025.
Voted against Senate resolutions withholding offensive weapons sales to Israel
In April 2025 Warnock voted against two resolutions sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders that sought to withhold billions in offensive weapons sales and other military aid to Israel.
Published children's book 'We're in This Together: Leo's Lunch Box'
Published another children's title in April 2025 (Penguin Random House).
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