How Democrats won Georgia – and what happens now

ourVoices - A podcast by openDemocracy

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The violent scenes in Washington, DC this week risk overshadowing Georgia's historic election result. The Democrats' victory in this Deep South state holds vitally important lessons for the future of US democracy. Biden's party may now have a slim majority in the US Congress, but the country remains bitterly divided and – as this week demonstrated – support for Trump is not going away. Some suggest Trump’s persistent false claims of election fraud hurt the Republicans in this election. But, as Mary Fitzgerald and Aaron White learned travelling across Georgia, the Democratic victory here didn't happen overnight. They spoke to dozens of voters and activists on the ground, as they watched an ambitious, long-term, grassroots operation help turn this traditionally red state blue. Just as in the 1960s with the Civil Rights movement, activists and organisers from Martin Luther King’s home state are once again sending leaders in Washington a powerful signal of where things need to go next. But will they listen?