NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — With the eyes of the nation upon Georgia, voters there are deciding not only who represents them in Washington, but, maybe, which party controls the United States Senate.
Republicans currently hold a two-seat advantage in the 100-seat chamber.
Incumbent Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are in a runoff election with Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and it could mean the difference in controlling the Senate.
If the Democrats win both seats, that would create a 50-50 tie and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris would represent the tie-breaking vote.
It would mean that President-elect Joe Biden would likely have a much easier time passing legislation, and it could mean good news for Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
"It's important for Virginia for these reasons: if the two Senate seats in Georgia go Democratic, it means that Virginia's two Democratic senators have a much more powerful position in the U.S. Senate in terms of legislation that's important to Virginia," said Christopher Newport University Political Science professor Quentin Kidd.
Kidd says that whatever happens in Georgia will have major national impacts, but the outcome might be somewhat less significant for Hampton Roads.
"The idea that the military needs to be strong, and the idea that shipbuilding needs to be maintained, the idea that we need to maintain a ready fleet and ready force is largely a bipartisan idea," said Kidd. "If Georgia decides to keep two Republican senators or splits the difference and have one Republican senator and one Democratic senator, it probably won't make a big difference in Hampton Roads and federal spending related to the military."