Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young backed the Rev. Raphael Warnock’s bid for U.S. Senate on Monday, making him the latest prominent Democrat to rally behind the pastor.

Young called Warnock a “leader of uncommon decency and grace” who honored the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with his advocacy for economic equality and other issues.

“I’m proud to endorse him because I know that he will bring to the U.S. Senate an unwavering moral compass and a firm commitment to fighting for all Georgians,” said Young.

The pastor, who heads Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, is one of 20 challengers running against Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a jumbled November special election that seems sure to end with a January runoff.

He’s quickly earned support from some of his party’s establishment forces, including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Stacey Abrams, a potential running-mate to Joe Biden.

Warnock is jockeying for Democratic votes against two other top rivals: Former federal prosecutor Ed Tarver and businessman Matt Lieberman, the son of former Sen. Joe Lieberman.

They’re competing in a contest roiled by the revelation that Loeffler, a financial executive who took office in January, sold up to $3.1 million in stocks after a coronavirus update earlier this year.

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Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com