Georgia US Senate race between Walker and Warnock could head to runoff election



Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker are competing in Georgia's widely-watched U.S. Senate race that will help determine the balance of power in Congress, but if neither candidate secures a majority of the vote, the Peach State contest will head to a December runoff.

Warnock entered office last year after winning a special election runoff. Walker, a former NFL player, had the backing of former President Donald Trump during the U.S. Senate contest.

Walker has been accused of paying for women to get abortions, though the pro-life figure has denied the allegations.

One woman, who alleged that Walker urged her to get an abortion and then reimbursed her for the procedure, is a registered Democrat and the mother of one of Walker's children, according to the Daily Beast. In an interview with ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis, Walker denied the abortion-related allegations and accused the woman who made the allegations of lying. According to the New York Times, the woman said that Walker had "maybe only seen" the 10-year-old child "three times." Walker told Davis that the claim was "not true" and that it had been made "difficult" for him to see the child.

Walker has also denied the allegations of another woman who accused him of pressuring her to terminate a pregnancy and of paying for an abortion.

But while Walker has run as a pro-life candidate, Warnock, the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, is openly pro-choice. Warnock's campaign website calls him "a pro-choice pastor" with "a profound reverence for life and an abiding respect for choice."

Democrats headed into the 2022 midterms with a precarious grip on power in the Senate, with the chamber divided 50-50 between 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and two independent lawmakers who caucus with the Democrats. Vice President Kamala Harris' role as tie-breaker has given Democrats the upper hand in the chamber.

Herschel Walker calls out race-baiting Democrats in ad calling America a 'great country full of generous people'



Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker released an ad Wednesday accusing the Democratic Party of using racial issues to divide Americans.

The 30-second ad quotes Democratic politicians including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), contrasting their statements that America is racist with Walker's belief that America is a "great country full of generous people."

\u201c\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8 new @HerschelWalker TV ad!\n\n"Raphael Warnock believes that America is a bad country full of racist people, I believe that we're a great country full of generous people.\u201d #gapol\u201d
— Mallory Blount (@Mallory Blount) 1662550529

"Democrats use race to divide us," the ad begins. It then shows a highlight reel of Democratic Party figures making various comments about race in America.

Abrams is quoted criticizing the Georgia election reforms supported by Republicans as "racist" legislation that is "a redux of Jim Crow in a suit and tie."

Harris is quoted saying, "America has a long history of systemic racism." The quote is taken from remarks she gave after police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd.

It also refers to Joe Biden's widely criticized comment from 2020 in which he told Charlamagne tha God, "if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black."

Finally, it quote's Walker's opponent Raphael Warnock saying, "America has a preexisting condition. It's called racism."

Then Walker addresses viewers directly with a simple message: "Senator Warnock believes America is a bad country, full of racist people. I believe we're a great country, full of generous people."

"Warnock wants to divide us. I want to bring us together," Walker says.

The ad comes as horse race polls show a tight contest between Walker and Warnock, who won a Senate seat in a special election in 2020. A recent poll from Emerson College has the Republican candidate leading the Democratic Senator 46%-44%, a much closer race than in April when Warnock led Walker 49%-45%. The Senate election is rated a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report.

With the midterm election just two months away, Warnock has attacked Walker for appearing hesitant to debate him. The Democrat released an ad earlier this week calling for Walker to "quit the games" and "agree to debates."

There's A Catch - Warnock for Georgia youtu.be

Walker responded on Wednesday, offering to have a "fair debate" in Savannah on Oct. 14.

" I don’t care what the topics are. It’s a fair debate. Open to the public. Televised statewide. And it’s not run by your donors. You in? Let’s do this for the people," Walker tweeted.

\u201cLet\u2019s lock down Savannah Oct 14th, Senator. I don\u2019t care what the topics are. It\u2019s a fair debate. Open to the public. Televised statewide. And it\u2019s not run by your donors. You in? Let\u2019s do this for the people.\u201d
— Herschel Walker (@Herschel Walker) 1662552993

But the Warnock campaign has said Walker must agree to a second debate next month before Warnock will meet Walker in Savannah, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“It’s time for Herschel Walker to stop playing games,” Warnock campaign manager Quentin Fulks said. “The job of a U.S. senator isn’t one where you know the topics ahead of time or get a cheat sheet, and Herschel Walker shouldn’t need one to find the courage to walk on a debate stage.”

A sticking point in the debate negotiations has been whether the candidates will receive the topics in advance and whether there will be a live audience. Walker prefers to have the topics in advance and doesn't want an audience.

Both candidates have been invited to participate in at least three debates hosted by WTOC in Savannah, Mercer University in Macon and the Atlanta Press Club. Warnock has agreed to appear in all three but Walker only accepted an invitation to a fourth debate hosted by WSAV in Savannah on Oct. 14.

Warnock will face Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver at the Mercer University debate on Oct. 13 and the Atlanta Press Club debate on Oct. 16. Both events will move forward with or without Walker.

Walker, a former University of Georgia running back and NFL star, skipped the GOP debates in the primary campaign, saying at the time he wanted to focus on defeating Warnock in the general.

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate says 'nobody can serve God and the military' — veterans and Republicans call him out



Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock was lambasted by veterans and Republicans this week over comments he made in a 2011 sermon saying Americans cannot serve both God and the military.

Warnock, who serves as the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, made the remarks during a sermon titled, "When Truth Meets Power." The sermon paraphrased Matthew 6:24, which states, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

"America, nobody can serve God and the military," Warnock said, admonishing Americans to turn away from the pursuit of power and wealth and turn to God. "You can't serve God and money. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. America, choose ye this day who you will serve. Choose ye this day."

"Politicians try to keep their power," he continued. "Political parties lie in order to keep their power. And church folk, yeah, you too, maneuver … in order to keep your power. And Jesus says, that's not power. That's paranoia."

Warnock, 51, is a civil rights activist. His position at Ebenezer Baptist Church was once held by Martin Luther King Jr.

Warnock's opponent, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), blasted the sermon, accusing Warnock's sermon of "disparaging the men and women who serve our country & risk their lives to defend freedom."

She was joined by other Republicans including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a combat veteran who served in the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said Warnock's sermon was "an insult to everyone who served" and called on him to withdraw from the race.

This is an insult to everyone who served.Raphael Warnock should withdraw. https://t.co/64EmmpYlEm
— Tom Cotton (@Tom Cotton)1605662888.0

More than four dozen Georgia veterans also called on Warnock to suspend his campaign in a statement reported by Fox News.

"Raphael Warnock's comments about military men and women are despicable and flat-out wrong," the veterans said. "Here in Georgia, true leaders recognize the service and sacrifice of all who have courageously defended our nation's freedom."

They continued, saying it's "sad to see Raphael Warnock is more interested in insulting and condemning our military than in building communities that support and protect them."

"We stand together in calling on Raphael Warnock to drop out immediately, and we remain grateful to those who honor our fellow men and women in uniform—and our Creator," they said.

A spokesman for the Warnock campaign told Fox News that Loeffler and other Republicans were taking Warnock's sermon out of context.

"This sermon is based on a biblical verse that reads 'No man can serve two masters… Ye cannot serve God and mammon,' a biblical term for wealth," campaign communications director Terrence Clark said. "Reverend Warnock was speaking about the need to commit to moral life before pursuing other priorities. As the video of the congregation's response makes clear, this is another blatant effort by Kelly Loeffler to take Reverend Warnock's words completely out of context. Given her own decision to spend her first days in the U.S. Senate profiting off the pandemic, perhaps she should watch the sermon more closely."

Warnock also responded to Loeffler on social media.

I am glad that Senator @KLoeffler is listening to my sermons. One of my favorite sermons is entitled ‘Love your nei… https://t.co/nmOwt2W4TY
— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@Reverend Raphael Warnock)1605639842.0