Georgia’s extended Senate race between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker finally comes to a close on Tuesday.
Summary
Georgia’s extended Senate race between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker finally comes to a close on Tuesday.
- Since Democrats won control of the Senate on Election Day, the stakes of Tuesday’s election are different than 2022’s other Senate races. Should Walker win, the Senate’s historic 50-50 split would continue for another two years.
- While the November content was nearly a photo finish, “oddsmakers believe the contest this week…is Warnock’s to lose.” Warnock nearly won the majority of votes necessary to avoid a runoff in November and has consistently outraised Walker.
- A Warnock victory would give Democrats a 51-49 majority, giving Democrats more power over committees and nominations. A 51-49 Senate would reduce the influence of freelancers like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and give Democrats a cushion ahead of what’s expected to be a brutal 2024 Senate map for their party.
- Warnock overperformed Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams in heavily Democratic counties like DeKalb, Fulton, and Clayton in November’s general election. Walker struggled compared to Gov. Brian Kemp in G.O.P. strongholds like Forsyth, Cherokee, and Hall.
- Sports have become an inextricable component of this election, and not just because of the Heisman Trophy-winning Walker’s college football career. Both candidates have campaigned at Georgia Bulldogs games and Warnock worked crowds at Morehouse College’s homecoming weekend.
- And win or lose, Walker will learn his fate in a familiar place: his election night party is at the College Football Hall of Fame.
- The Washington Post analyzed the “huge difference” 51 Democratic senators would make. Committees are split evenly in a 50-50 Senate, but an outright majority would allow Democrats to fully control committees and therefore have more power to send nominations and legislation to the Senate floor.
- The New York Times pointed out 1.8 million Georgians have already voted in the runoff, a new record for early voting in the Peach State. Both candidates have crisscrossed the state in the final days trying to juice turnout from their core supporters.
- POLITICO reported Republican hopes are “fading” ahead of the runoff, even though a Walker win is “not out of the question.” Warnock has led in the few polls of the runoff while Walker’s campaign has been dogged by a series of missteps and viral comments.
- The Wall Street Journal tried to read the tea leaves from November’s first round to predict the runoff’s outcome. Walker’s challenge will be to maintain turnout levels from the first round while convincing wavering Republicans who voted for Kemp-Warnock or left the Senate line blank to set aside their misgivings and vote Republican for Senate.
- Fox News reported that with one day to go, Warnock still refuses to identify any limitations on abortions that he supports. Warnock dodged a question from Fox News Digital, merely saying, “”I voted to protect Roe v. Wade, and I would do that again.”
- Walker explained “the importance of a Republican victory in Georgia” in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News. Walker said his victory would “keep the president in check” and turn the Senate into a place where Republicans just need to “turn one Democrat” to stop legislation.
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© Dominic Moore, 2022
