‘Get your coffee’: Early returns point to close race

The first returns of Tuesday show an unsurprising edge for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, as early-vote tallies in densely populated metro Atlanta areas and other Democratic strongholds are added to the vote totals.

But strategists caution that the Democrat’s edge over Republican Herschel Walker will narrow as Election Day totals in rural and exurban counties where Republicans dominate stream in. One veteran GOP operative texted three words of advice for election-watchers: “Get your coffee.”

So far, the results show a mixed bag. Warnock is outdoing his November vote total in some small counties, while Walker is holding his own in others. The picture will sharpen as votes in DeKalb and Fulton – the two most important Democratic bastions – are counted.