ATLANTA — After inching toward a majority of votes in the primary, Jon Ossoff avoided a runoff and will face incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue in November.

The Associated Press called the race in Ossoff’s favor after he passed the 50% majority threshold in the seven-way race late Wednesday.

The 33-year-old investigative journalist and his opponents had to wait for results after the primary election meltdown Tuesday. Voters faced long lines and elections officials still counted ballots long after the day was over.

“We have to keep fighting. This is not a moment to let up,” Ossoff told supporters Wednesday night. “This is a moment to double-down. Because the task before us is a mighty one.”

Ossoff narrowly lost a 2017 special election run for Georgia’s 6th District and gained national attention for his unprecedented campaign fundraising. Ossoff has long characterized his campaign as an “all-out attack on corruption in Washington.”

Ossoff said the president and his allies in Congress are leading the country in the direction toward “authoritarianism,” “racism” and “corruption.”

The Democrat called out his first-term, Republican opponent as one of the corrupt and “self-dealing” politicians, dismantling democracy in Washington.

“This is the beginning of a new chapter in Georgia’s history and the beginning of the end for disgraced David Perdue,” Ossoff said.

Perdue’s campaign fired back Wednesday night; the senator’s campaign manager called Ossoff “a part-time filmmaker and liberal elite with zero real-world accomplishments.”

“Despite his privileged lifestyle funded with daddy’s money, Jon Ossoff’s only notable achievement is spending millions of dollars on his failed congressional bid,” Ben Fry, Perdue campaign manager, said. “Now more than ever, Georgians need outsider David Perdue and his experienced leadership in the U.S. Senate.”

A handful of Democrats fought for the chance to challenge Perdue — former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and businesswoman Sarah Riggs Amico were the other top contenders.

But early in his campaign, Ossoff was armed with major endorsements including those of U.S. Reps. Hank Johnson and John Lewis.

As votes continued to be tallied Wednesday, Tomlinson was quick to claim the race was headed to a runoff between herself and Ossoff.

“Now that most votes have been counted, it appears that for the third time in his political career,” Tomlinson said, “Jon Ossoff has failed to break the 50% needed to avoid a runoff.”

Tomlinson’s campaign even sent out an email calling for donations and support for an August runoff.

But by late Wednesday, Tomlinson conceded and called on supporters to rally behind Ossoff to defeat Perdue.