Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Rep. Mike Collins. The Associated Press declared Ossoff the winner at 7:55 p.m. EST, according to the AP's live election coverage.

In DeKalb County, where Dunwoody and Brookhaven sit, Ossoff built a commanding lead, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. The county also reelected Democratic commission incumbents and elected new Democratic representatives to oversee county government.

The victory gives Ossoff, 39, a second six-year term. He was the only incumbent Democratic senator seeking reelection in a state President Donald Trump won in 2024, making the seat a top Republican target, the AP reported.

Democrats sweep Georgia

Ossoff's win was part of a statewide Democratic wave. Voters elected Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms governor, making her the first Black woman elected governor of any state, the AP reported. Democrats also won races for attorney general, secretary of state and lieutenant governor, the Georgia Recorder reported.

State Sen. Josh McLaurin, an attorney from Sandy Springs who represents a north Fulton County district, won the lieutenant governor's race. McLaurin will be the first Democrat to preside over the state Senate chamber since Mark Taylor left office in 2007, the Georgia Recorder reported.

Nationally, Democrats won control of Congress, flipping Senate seats in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina while holding Georgia and Michigan, the AP reported. Democrats also flipped more than two dozen House districts.

Collins concedes

Collins, who represented Georgia's 10th Congressional District, acknowledged the loss in a brief speech to supporters on election night.

"The results may not be what we wanted tonight, but y'all, that's OK. I'm going to continue to serve," Collins said, according to the AP. He praised Trump, calling it an honor and privilege to serve under him.

Speaking to a cheering crowd in Atlanta, Ossoff cast the results as a rebuke of Trump. "In sweeping and decisive victories, the American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption and incompetence of a failed lame duck President Donald J. Trump," Ossoff said, according to the AP.

How the race played out

Republicans had viewed the Georgia seat as a prime pickup opportunity. Collins won the GOP nomination in a June 16 runoff against former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, PBS reported. Trump endorsed Collins, while Gov. Brian Kemp backed Dooley.

Ossoff held a massive fundraising edge, raising about $137 million as of Oct. 14 compared to about $11 million for Collins, PBS reported. Republican groups pulled back spending in mid-October, signaling the race was likely lost, the AP reported.

Collins faced scrutiny over ties to family members and former staffers who have espoused white nationalist and antisemitic views, NPR reported. He also continued to embrace Trump's false claims about widespread election fraud in 2020, according to NPR. Collins said he does not support any form of racism or white nationalism, NBC News reported.

The candidates clashed over affordability, healthcare, the war in Iran and immigration during the campaign, according to WABE's voter guide.

On the local ballot

Brookhaven voters also weighed in on a referendum to increase the senior and disabled homestead tax exemption from $160,000 to $200,000, according to the DeKalb County sample ballot. The city also held special elections for two City Council seats and mayor.

Voters can find official results through the Georgia Secretary of State's election results page.