Georgia’s Raphael Warnock sworn into his first full, six-year Senate term

© Provided by Atlanta News First Sen. Warnock wins in Georgia giving Democrats a majority in the Senate

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - While Republicans in the U.S. House were engaged in a civil war over who to elect speaker, Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock was sworn into his first six-year term.

Warnock won election to his full term this past December when he defeated a Republican challenge from Herschel Walker.

The Warnock-Walker race was the second consecutive Senate race that went into a runoff in Georgia. Warnock won his current seat in a January 2021 runoff against Kelly Loeffler, who had been appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to fill the unexpired term of Johnny Isakson, who had resigned due to health reasons.

RELATED: ‘Furious’ Marjorie Taylor Greene blasts GOP leaders after Kevin McCarthy defeat

Across the aisle, Congressional Republicans engaged in a civil war. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy was defeated on the first ballot as Congress gaveled into session on Tuesday. The California Republican’s defeat, according to the AP, sent the new Congress into a tangle as conservative colleagues opposed his leadership.

McCarthy was opposed by several members of the House GOP’s so-called Freedom Caucus, and became the first House speaker nominee in 100 years to fail to win the gavel from his fellow party members on the initial vote.

On the House’s first ballot, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) received 212 votes to McCarthy’s 203. Five other congressional representatives also received votes; no candidate received the required majority to become speaker. A total of 218 was needed for a candidate to be elected speaker.

Later on Tuesday, McCarthy was headed for defeat on a second ballot.