Warnock denies he's an 'election denier,' claims voter suppression 'still an issue' in Georgia

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Raphael Warnock claims voter suppression 'still an issue' in Georgia

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock was confronted over claims he's an election denier, after insisting the state still suffers from voter suppression after a record turnout election.

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock defended himself against accusations he's an "election denier" during a Monday interview on "CBS Mornings," after record turnout in the state's midterm elections.

Warnock won in the state's Dec. 6 runoff election against Republican challenger Herschel Walker, when the state broke records in early voting. 

In his victory speech, he doubled down on claims Gov. Brian Kemp's 2021 election integrity law made it harder for Black voters to cast their ballots.

While on CBS on Monday, Warnock was confronted about his voter suppression claims and a new op-ed by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger criticizing those assertions.

Sen. Raphael Warnock insisted voter suppression was still a problem in Georgia despite record turnout. (CBS/Screenshot)

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When asked if voter suppression was still a valid argument, Warnock was adamant.

"Oh absolutely," he told co-host Gayle King.

"We should not assume that because I won that voter suppression is not an issue in Georgia," he stated, explaining how he had to sue the state to get early Saturday voting in the runoff election.

As he praised voters for securing his victory, co-host Tony Dokoupil pressed the Democrat to respond to Raffensperger calling him an "election denier."

In his op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, the Republican election official called voter suppression claims "false" and "conspiracy theories."

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called Sen. Raphael Warnock an "election denier" in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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"Senator, it’s not just some people who could say you won so voter suppression is not the problem. It’s Brad Raffensperger, who's the Secretary of State of Georgia. He’s got an op-ed out in the Wall Street Journal today. He’s famed for many of our viewers for standing up to Donald Trump’s claims of denying the election or that the election was stolen. He’s now calling you an election denier saying you can’t say it’s not a free and fair election if you got record turnout. What do you say to that?" the CBS host pressed.

Warnock would not be swayed from his view that voter suppression was a real problem in the election. He pointed to reports of long lines at polling stations.

"The fact that people have had to overcome barriers doesn’t mean those barriers don’t exist. We literally saw college students and seniors in lines that were hours and hours and hours long. Maybe he’s happy with that. I’m not. I think we can do better than that," Warnock responded.

The Democrat described the act of voting in religious terms.  

"Your vote is your voice, your voice is your human dignity. There’s nothing more sacred than the right to vote," he said comparing voting to prayer.

"You can have the right to vote and still not have access," he argued.

Voters fill out forms as they wait in line to cast ballots in the last hour of early voting in the Atlanta suburb of Tucker, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

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Voters in the Peach State set a record for the most early votes cast in a state's midterm election, according to the state's election officials.

President Biden and others have attacked the state's election integrity law as "Jim Crow, 2.0."

After Warnock's victory, the White House insisted there was still voter suppression in the Georgia election despite a record turnout in the primary, general and runoff elections.