After a series of early rants that prompted intense back-and-forth among top Senate Republicans, party officials say they are beginning to see a more professional enterprise emerging from Walker’s campaign.
And despite the surge Democratic Senate candidates have seen in other states over the past two months, polls in Georgia have shown a largely tight race. An InsiderAdvantage-Fox 5 Atlanta poll released earlier this month found Walker with a 3-point lead over Warnock — a reversal from July, when the Democratic incumbent led by the same margin. “I think you’re seeing the professionalization of Herschel as a candidate,” said Chuck Clay, a former state senator and chairman of the Georgia GOP. “He is who he is. His early statements that were somewhat silly or off-the-wall – but never mean-spirited or mean-spirited – have come under scrutiny.’ Walker’s more disciplined approach to the race isn’t just a fluke, another Republican strategist said.
Facing a difficult summer on the campaign trail, the former Dallas Cowboys running back moved to revamp his political operation, bringing in a team of veteran Republican operatives, including longtime general manager Chip Lake and Gail Gitcho, who served as communications director. for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) 2012 Presidential campaign. “They’ve focused him, and he’s also trained himself to be more focused, to be less articulate, and I think it shows,” the quarterback said. The result was a more focused campaign. Walker has more regularly hammered Warnock on issues such as inflation, crime and border security, while playing himself up as a unifying force. In an ad by Walker and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released earlier this month, he accused Warnock and Democrats of using “race to divide” Americans, adding that he wants to “bring us together.” Warnock’s ouster would be one of the GOP’s biggest victories of the year, if the party can pull it off. Republicans need to win just one Senate seat to regain their majority, and given President Biden’s extremely narrow victory in Georgia in 2020, the state still represents one of their best targets. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), the NRSC chairman, said he was confident about Walker’s chances in November and predicted Republicans would end up with “52+” Senate seats. next year. “I think we’ll get 52,” Scott said. “I think Herschel Walker will win.” In a sign that Washington Republicans are watching the Georgia Senate race with more enthusiasm, Punchbowl News reported Tuesday that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will host a fundraiser for Walker this week – his second event to benefit the former NFL star in less than a month.
Another GOP heavyweight, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), also traveled to Georgia last month to beat Walker. One Republican consultant described the flurry of activity by national GOP executives as a sign that party leaders are “closing ranks” ahead of Election Day. But Warnock, a suave Atlanta pastor who narrowly won his Senate seat last year in a high-stakes runoff election, won’t be easy to oust.
He has both the advantage of tenure and more campaign cash than Walker. And while some polls have found Walker closing in on him, others – including a Marist College survey published on Tuesday – still show Warnock holding a firm lead.
And Walker is not immune to the same challenges facing Republicans nationally. The re-emergence of former President Trump as a front-page figure could reignite questions about Walker’s ties to him, especially given that the former president endorsed him early in his campaign.
Trump has not been to Georgia in months, despite falling for Republican candidates in other Senate battlegrounds more recently, though he is said to be considering a possible rally in the state in the coming weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter. .
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported that the former president may be considering an upcoming campaign for Walker.
There’s also the ongoing fight over abortion rights that has put Republicans in a politically precarious position since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade over the summer. After Sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) introduced legislation last week that would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, Walker said he would support such a policy. However, many aspects of the race between Warnock and Walker are personal.
Warnock sought to highlight Walker’s blunders and sordid past, including allegations of domestic violence and exaggerations about his business and academic achievements. Walker, meanwhile, has fired back with questions about Warnock’s finances, including a $7,400 monthly housing allowance he receives as senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Warnock’s campaign defended the senator’s financial arrangements, saying they followed Senate rules.
But perhaps the most frightening reality for Warnock – or any Democrat for that matter – is the political environment this year. The incumbent party almost always loses ground in Congress in midterm elections, and despite recent Democratic momentum, the party still faces a tough challenge.
“People are really disappointed in Biden. they’re really frustrated with the economy,” said Jay Williams, a Georgia Republican strategist. “It’s a much more nationalized election, and I think people in Georgia are going to swing toward the Republicans.” Republicans also said they are not surprised that the Senate race in Georgia has tightened in recent weeks. It’s still considered one of the most competitive of the year, and electoral underdogs across the board have kept it firmly in the upset column. Interest rates rise, inflation drives consumers to pile up credit card debt The Hill’s Morning Report — Putin is mobilizing the troops. polls trigger Senate midterm suspension “The race was always going to be close,” said Clay, the former Georgia state senator. “Herschel has become a much better candidate through the process. And now it’s the last 1 or 2 percent that will make that call.” “Can Herschel win? Yes,” he added. “Am I still saying a slight advantage for Warnock? For now yes.”
Al Weaver contributed.