VIDEO: Atlanta Pastor Enters Georgia Senate Race

ATLANTA, GA — An Atlanta pastor has tossed his name into the U.S. Senate race to challenge the recently appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler. The Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor at the same church where Martin Luther King Jr.’ preached, announced his bid Thursday.

The Ebenezer Baptist Church pastor launched his campaign with a video and a new website.

He poses the question, “Some might ask why a pastor thinks he should serve in the senate?”

His response: “Well I’ve committed my whole life to service and helping people realize their highest potential. I’ve always thought that my impact doesn’t stop at the church door, that’s actually where it starts and I love this country. I believe what makes America so great is that we’ve always had a path to make it greater, greater for people like the ones I’ve counseled at my church and others like them across the state.”

The video shares his journey growing up in Savannah’s public housing to graduating from the historically black men's college, Morehouse, and later being called to lead Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. He grew up with 11 brothers and sisters. His dad is a veteran, a small businessman and a preacher. His mother spent summers picking tobacco and cotton.

“Our parents taught us the value of hard work,” Warnock said. “[My mother] told us we could do anything that we put our minds to…”

Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to replace Sen. Johnny Isakson, who retired early due to health challenges. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013.

The wealthy businesswoman will have to defend her seat in a special election that’s being held in November. Candidates are vying for the remaining two years of Isakson’s term that wasn’t supposed to end until 2022.

A second Georgia Senate seat is up for grabs. Republican Sen. David Perdue is seeking a second term.

According to the AP, Georgia has turned into a “political battleground” with the prospect of two GOP-held seats possibly being filled. Republicans still lead, but with President Donald Trump losing support from suburban voters and women, Democrats believe they have a chance, reports the AP.

The northeast Georgia Republican, Rep. Doug Collins joined the race, announcing his bid Wednesday on Fox News. He’s built a national profile defending President Donald Trump.

The Fox News anchors said the problem is that Trump wanted Collins to fill the seat vacated by Isakson, but instead Kemp tapped businesswoman Loeffler in December.

Loeffler has expressed public support for Trump since her appointment. She is backed by Kemp, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Warnock is the third Democrat to join the race. A former state senator and U.S. attorney Ed Tarver, and Matt Lieberman, the son of former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, have launched campaigns, reports WXIA.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston recently announced she would not run for Senate. She would have been one of the more serious potential Democratic opponents, according to the news station.

The way Georgia’s current special election is setup, the chances of a January 2021 runoff between the top two candidates becomes higher with more names on the ballot. The runoff is required if no candidate receives a majority of votes in November.

The AP reports that State House Speaker David Ralston, a longtime Collins friend, proposed legislation that would mandate party primaries be held in May. Gov. Kemp threatened to veto the proposal, sending it back to a state House committee Thursday morning, which lessens its chances of moving forward.