Campaign staff for Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) have sent their followers several emails calling Georgia “the number one battleground” and saying “Democrats’ chances of defending our razor-thin majority hinge on keeping Georgia blue.”
Warnock’s campaign staff frequently cited the name of Herschel Walker. Walker, a Republican, filed paperwork in August to run for Warnock’s seat. The election is next year. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Walker in September.
In one email, Warnock’s campaign staff said he is the most vulnerable Democrat up for reelection next year.
“National Republicans started coming after him as their TOP target for defeat. Donald Trump held a massive MAGA rally in Georgia to prop up his handpicked candidate – and Mitch McConnell is lining up the full GOP establishment to flood our state with MILLIONS to defeat Rev. Warnock and retake Senate control,” according to the email.
“Even worse? Their attacks may be having an effect: Recent polling shows this race NECK AND NECK. We have ZERO room for error, friend. If we don’t see an immediate SURGE in grassroots support, we could fall behind and put our entire Senate majority in serious danger. But with time running out before our mid-month deadline, we’re still falling short.”
Walker, a former NFL star, is the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination in 2022, a poll released this month shows.
Internal polling showed 74 percent of Georgia GOP primary voters supported Walker. Walker led his closest opponent, Gary Black, by 68 points, while 16 percent said they remained undecided.
Walker’s support extended to both self-described moderate and conservative Republicans, 61 percent and 81 percent of whom said they would vote for him.
The poll was conducted in October.
The former NFL player often uses social media to express right-of-center beliefs. Earlier this year, for example, Walker tweeted that elected officials best serve their time “upholding the Constitution and finding solutions to hold companies and our government accountable.”
Walker also said “elected officials are sworn to office to protect the Constitution, foreign and domestic. Anyone not honoring their oath should be impeached.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Herschel Walker” by Travis AFB. CC BY-NC 2.0. Photo “Raphael Warnock” by Raphael Warnock. Background Photo “Senate Chamber, Georgia State Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.
