The New York Times

Democrats Work to Defy History in Georgia Runoffs That Have Favored G.O.P.

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The New York Times logoDemocrats Work to Defy History in Georgia Runoffs That Have Favored G.O.P.

WASHINGTON — A first-term senator in Georgia narrowly bested his opponent, outrunning his party’s standard-bearer only to face voters again a few weeks later under a quirky system that briefly made the state the center of the political universe after a hard-fought presidential election.

a man wearing a suit and tie standing in front of a crowd: The Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, center, and Jon Ossoff, right, both Democrats, are running to unseat incumbent Republicans for Senate seats in Georgia.© Lynsey Weatherspoon for The New York Times The Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, center, and Jon Ossoff, right, both Democrats, are running to unseat incumbent Republicans for Senate seats in Georgia.

The year was 1992, and Senator Wyche Fowler Jr., a Democrat, had amassed more votes than his Republican opponent on Election Day. But he lost his seat three weeks later.

“Yes, I was disappointed, running six points ahead of the president and being the only state in the country that had this kind of crazy system,” said Mr. Fowler, now 80, looking back on a storied runoff election 28 years ago after Bill Clinton won the presidency.

Now that same “crazy system” that overturned Mr. Fowler’s lead, defeating a popular member of Congress known for his folksy stories, has once again seized the attention of both parties. This ti