• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Politics

Georgia Senate races: Data scientist’s final prediction has Democrats taking both seats

Shawn Tully
By
Shawn Tully
Shawn Tully
Senior Editor-at-Large
Down Arrow Button Icon
Shawn Tully
By
Shawn Tully
Shawn Tully
Senior Editor-at-Large
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 5, 2021, 4:02 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Given that most polls got the presidential election so wrong, folks are looking for a more reliable, scientific forecast for the crucial senatorial runoffs in Georgia. Thomas Miller, a data scientist at Northwestern University, is handicapping the races, marshaling what he considers the most sophisticated, data-rich, bias-free model in the business.

According to Miller’s analytics, online betting sites underestimate the true strength of the Democrats in the two runoffs, while the polls wrongly predict blowout victories for both. Miller’s methodology finds a middle ground between the two extremes that dominate the headlines and keep heads spinning.

Miller’s bottom line: With polls hours away from closing, both races remain competitive, but Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are most likely to win—Ossoff by a narrow single point, and Warnock by a more substantial 2% margin. Miller also reckons that the odds on the political betting sites—whose forecasts are a lot more reliable than the polls—are wrong in favoring the Republicans to win at least one race and keep control of the Senate. Instead, Miller reckons that the Democrats enjoy a more than one-in-two chance of sweeping both races, and hence controlling both houses of Congress.

Miller uses three types of forecasts, each of which are proprietary. The first he calls the Preference Survey (conducted in partnership with Isometric Solutions, Panel Consulting, and Prodege LLC). It’s a conventional, daily poll of around 1,200 adult Georgia residents, asking whom they intend to vote for. The second is his Prediction Market data. For this yardstick, Miller uses the prices posted on the sole major political betting site for U.S. gamblers, PredictIt. Miller distills the 14 different point spreads on each race that bettors choose from on PredictIt to get odds that incorporate far more data—and, he claims, are much more reliable—than the win-or-lose, head-to-head prices that PredictIt itself displays on the two contests. (Miller’s data is posted on https://www.data-science-quarterly.com/.)

While Miller says the betting markets are much more accurate than the polls, as they proved in the 2020 presidential race, both have biases. The polls typically lean Democratic, while the gaming odds tilt Republican because the gamblers are typically male, well-educated, and often wager on football or basketball (all demographics that lean toward the GOP).

Hence, Miller also uses a third data set, the Prediction Survey, that combines the best elements of the polls and betting sites. It canvasses the same 1,200 respondents as the Preference Survey, but instead asks people whom they expect to win, not whom they will vote for and hope will prevail. He also adds an incentive that turns his audience into bettors: In addition to the $1.50 they receive each day for participating, they’ll get an extra $1.50 for each of the two races they call correctly. Both surveys poll only people who have been living in Georgia for at least a year. “Those people really understand what’s happening in their home state, so when they predict who’ll win and get paid a few dollars to get it right, their overall forecast is more reliable than either the standard polls or the betting odds separately,” says Miller. For Miller, the Prediction Survey is the new gold standard for handicapping political races.

Ossoff vs. Perdue

Let’s examine where the two races have been trending, and where they stand now, on all three measures. We’ll start with the election pitting Democrat Ossoff versus the Republican, one-term incumbent David Perdue. (All numbers are expressed as the margin of victory if the election were held the day the data is collected.) Just a few days ago, the numbers in the Preference Survey, or regular poll, were careening back and forth, with Ossoff leading by 3.8 points on Dec. 30, and Perdue jumping over four points ahead the next two days. But for the three days from Jan. 2 to the last reading on midnight, Jan. 5, Ossoff enjoyed a huge advantage of well over five points. “In other words, the polls are saying that he’ll win in a virtual landslide,” says Miller.

The Prediction Market odds, the number Miller derives from PredictIt, tell a far different story: Ossoff is leading by a slender 0.1%. “So according to the bettors, the race is still a toss-up,” says Miller. For Miller, it’s the Prediction Survey, where respondents get rewarded for calling the races, that chart the best course between the plain vanilla polls and the betting prices. It gives Ossoff a lead of 1.1 points.

But Miller’s analysis doesn’t stop there; he also adjusts for the most likely turnout, the factor that could swing both elections either way.

“The overwhelmingly top predictor for the candidate people vote for is race and gender,” he says. “That’s based on four categories, nonwhite male and female, and white male and female. The numbers who actually vote in each of those categories is key to calling the results.” Miller plugs the demographic data for the four groups across every one of Georgia’s 159 counties into his formula predicting turnout, based on which groups voted in which numbers in the 2016 and 2018 elections. “So the forecast has four times 159 or 636 components,” he says. Miller’s model foresees an unusually high number of voters from the groups typically favoring Democrats. That factor lifted Ossoff’s edge a bit in Miller’s model to just under 1.5%. Given the continued closeness in the betting odds, Miller rounds down his advantage to 1.0%, meaning the most likely result is an Ossoff victory of 50.5% to Perdue’s 49.5%.

Loeffler vs. Warnock

In the special election where Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to her seat last year, faces challenger Warnock, Loeffler actually led in the conventional Preference Survey on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Then Warnock suddenly opened a gigantic, enduring lead of over five points that mirrored Ossoff’s sprint. Once again, the bettors were less bullish on the Democrat: The Prediction Market reading that Miller derives from the 28 point spread prices on PredictIt has Warnock ahead by only 0.5%, better than Ossoff’s 0.1% but pointing to a tight race. The Prediction Survey, Miller’s golden mean, has Warnock as a 1.46% favorite. As with the regular race, Miller runs that number through his turnout model incorporating demographic data from the Peach State’s 159 counties. With turnout tilting Democratic, Warnock’s lead advances to around 2.0%.

At Fortune’s request, Miller translated Ossoff’s 1% lead and Warnock’s 2% advantage into the odds each will win. From the 1,200 respondents in the Prediction Survey, the chance that Ossoff will win in the regular election is 54.8%, and from the same survey, Warnock’s probability of victory is 59.6%. The paramount challenge is forecasting whether the Democrats will take both seats, the feat they must achieve to control the Senate. On a single coin toss, the chances of getting heads or tails is one in two, but the chance of getting heads twice in a row is one in four. Since both races are fairly close, you’d think that the Democrats’ chances of a sweep are less than 50-50. Indeed, the bettors on PredictIt are wagering that the Republicans will win at least one seat and maintain the majority.

Their thinking is misguided, says Miller. “The two races aren’t independent, like two coin tosses,” he says. “They’re highly correlated. They move together in lockstep. When Warnock moves up, Ossoff moves up. If Warnock wins, Ossoff is also likely to win. So the odds are 55% that the Democrats take both seats.” That result would move the upper chamber to a 50/50 split that puts the Democrats in control.

As Georgia goes, so goes the nation, and Georgia’s been going Democratic only in the past 10 days. No one’s chronicled the historic shift with greater precision than Tom Miller.

About the Author
Shawn Tully
By Shawn TullySenior Editor-at-Large

Shawn Tully is a senior editor-at-large at Fortune, covering the biggest trends in business, aviation, politics, and leadership.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Politics

Photo of ballots being counted and sorted
PoliticsElections
Nearly 150,000 California mail ballots rejected in June primary, a record high thanks to late-arriving ballots
By The Associated Press and MIchael R. BloodJuly 24, 2026
3 hours ago
Photo of the nun
North AmericaImmigration
Nun detained by ICE on her way to Mass speaks out for first time: ‘For me, a nun, not to go to Mass…it was very, very heartbreaking’
By The Associated Press, Valerie Gonzalez and Jamie StengleJuly 24, 2026
3 hours ago
Vice President JD Vance sits in on a meeting.
North AmericaJD Vance
The Secret Service is investigating a member of JD Vance’s detail over a suspected news leak
By The Associated PressJuly 24, 2026
3 hours ago
Google logo is displayed on a smartphone in front of the EU Flag.
CybersecurityGoogle
EU strikes Google with $1 billion fine in major crackdown on antitrust regulations even as Trump threatens retaliation
By The Associated Press and Sam McNeilJuly 24, 2026
3 hours ago
A supporter holds a sign for Democratic candidate for Texas governor Gina Hinojosa while she speaks during a rally.
PoliticsData centers
‘There are no rules. It is the wild west of data centers’: Texas Democratic candidates pounce on AI data center projects in Republican strongholds
By The Associated Press and Marc LevyJuly 24, 2026
4 hours ago
An overhead map of the location of Pickaxe Mountain and Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
North AmericaDonald Trump
Trump threatens to bomb Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site: ‘There’s not a thing they can do about it’
By The Associated Press and Jon GambrellJuly 24, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
16 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 24, 2026
14 hours ago
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
AI
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.