the rev raphael warnock is running for the us senate in georgia he first wanted to run for office years ago now stacey abrams the democratic party and the rev raphael warnock all believe that the time is ripe for georgia voters to send a black baptist preacher to washingtoncreditnicole craine for the new york timespublished jan 2 2021updated jan 8 2021read more on the history raphael warnock is chasingatlanta for months in 2007 the rev raphael warnock used his pulpit at ebenezer baptist church in atlanta to call for the release of a young black man sentenced to 10 years in prison for a consensual sexual encounter between teenagers some of his powerful parishioners like the congressman and civil rights icon john lewis had joined the cause even visiting the young man in prisonthe public pressure campaign was on the brink of success a lower court ordered the young mans release and his family prepared to celebrate but then the state attorney general thurbert baker announced that he would appeal the decisionmr baker also happened to be a member of mr warnocks congregation and so it was that on the following sunday mr warnock singled him out for special mention he has said that its his job to be the states attorney and thats true mr warnock said but its my job to be the states conscienceat the time in 2007 mr warnock was still a relative newcomer two years earlier he had become the youngest person ever to assume the role of senior pastor at ebenezer the spiritual home of the rev dr martin luther king jrmr baker on the other hand was georgias highestranking black elected official a toughoncrime somewhat conservative democrat who had been in office since 1997 he would become the last africanamerican elected in a statewide racemr warnock wants to become the next onehe is running for senate against kelly loeffler one of the richest members of congress senator loeffler was appointed last year by gov brian kemp and has become a strident trump loyalistthe stakes are high the results on election day a threeway split between mr warnock ms loeffler and another republican representative doug collins caused a runoff that along with the runoff for georgias other senate seat will determine the balance of power in the senate the race has attracted record sums mr warnock has raised more than 100 million to help make the case that his life trajectory has better prepared him for this moment than anyone elseimagecreditchang w leethe new york timesthis moment he frequently reminds his audiences on the campaign trail includes a pandemic with glaring racial disparities global calls for justice spurred by police killings of black people and the stunning fact that georgia voters who have never elected a black senator just gave the nod to a democratic presidential nominee for the first time since 1992mr warnock is betting that the time is ripe for a black baptist preacher in robes trimmed with kente cloth who