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Warnock and Walker statement successful Georgia
Savannah – Senate hopefuls Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker faced disconnected Friday nighttime successful their archetypal and lone scheduled statement earlier the election, addressing a wide scope of topics important to the state's voters.
Both candidates pledged successful their opening statements to beryllium beardown advocates for Georgia successful Washington. Warnock said helium grew up successful nationalist lodging down the roadworthy from wherever the statement was being held, telling viewers that "only successful America is my communicative possible."
The candidates discussed galore issues captious to the state, including the economy, predetermination integrity and abortion. Throughout the debate, Walker repeatedly tried to nexus Warnock to President Biden, telling voters that Warnock has voted 96% of the clip with the president.
Warnock declined to accidental whether helium would backmost Mr. Biden if helium ran for bureau again successful 2024, telling voters, "I person not thought for a infinitesimal astir who should run."
Walker, connected the different hand, said he'd afloat enactment erstwhile President Donald Trump if helium ran again, saying Trump is his "friend" and "I won't permission my allies." Both candidates, however, acknowledged that Mr. Biden won the 2020 election, and some pledged to respect the results of Georgia's race.
In different notable infinitesimal aboriginal successful the debate, Warnock criticized Walker for having "a occupation with the truth" and referenced reports that helium had antecedently pretended to beryllium a subordinate of instrumentality enforcement. Walker past appeared to flash immoderate benignant of badge, saying he's worked "with galore constabulary officers," which prompted a moderator to chastise him for bringing what she called a "prop."
"It's not a prop, this is real," Walker responded.
Abortion has brought an other level of attraction to the contention successful caller days, owed to a caller study by The Daily Beast that Walker, an termination entree opponent, paid for a woman's abortion. The quality outlet aboriginal reported that the pistillate is the parent of 1 of Walker's children. Walker has repeatedly denied the allegation. CBS News has not confirmed the Daily Beast's reporting.
Walker connected Friday nighttime said erstwhile again that the allegation is simply a "lie," telling voters that "I'm a Christian, I judge successful life."
And arsenic helium did successful an interrogation with ABC News earlier this week, Walker continued to soften his erstwhile stance connected abortion, though helium denied Friday this was the case. He said successful the statement that helium supports the Georgia "heartbeat" bill, which is the 2019 termination instrumentality that went into effect aft Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, ending the national close to an abortion.
"I accidental I enactment the heartbeat bill," Walker said Friday. "And I accidental I enactment the Georgia heartbeat measure due to the fact that that's the measure of the radical from Gov. Kemp. And I said that has exceptions successful it. I said I'm a Christian, but I'm besides representing the radical of Georgia, and that's who I represent. So what the radical astatine Georgia basal for, I'm gonna basal with them."
The Georgia instrumentality allows exceptions for rape and incest if a constabulary study is filed. There is besides an objection if the mother's beingness is astatine risk, oregon the fetus becomes unviable.
Earlier this year, though, Walker filled retired a campaigner survey for an anti-abortion group, the Georgia Life Alliance, successful which helium indicated helium supported an termination prohibition without exceptions for rape, incest oregon the wellness of the mother.
"There's nary objection successful my mind," Walker told reporters successful May astatine the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame successful Macon, Georgia, adding, "Like I say, I judge successful life. I judge successful life."
Ahead of the debate, supporters of each campaigner who spoke with CBS News said they planned to tune in.
In Walker's hometown of Wrightsville, wherever a marque caller shot tract bearing his sanction sits adjacent the municipality center, immoderate section residents said they were looking guardant to seeing the University of Georgia shot large instrumentality the stage.
Republican Senate campaigner for Georgia, Herschel Walker speaks to media astatine a run lawsuit connected September 9, 2022 successful Gwinnett, Georgia.
Megan Varner / Getty Images
"I'm readying to ticker everything I get my fingers connected due to the fact that I similar to beryllium well-informed connected some sides," said Robert Colson, a Walker supporter. "If I tin find information retired of a candidate, that volition impressment me."
Not acold from Raphael Warnock Way successful Savannah, Tammie Jenkins, who went to precocious schoolhouse with Warnock, said she hoped the statement would enactment focused connected the issues.
"He was ever smart," Jenkins said of Warnock. She supported him successful 2020 but is keeping an unfastened mind. "I privation to cognize and spot everyone's opinions."
Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock speaks to supporters during his run tour, extracurricular of the Liberty Theater connected October 8, 2022 successful Columbus, Georgia.
Megan Varner / Getty Images
Many of the voters CBS News spoke to were with Jenkins — they wanted to perceive astir issues they attraction about, similar the economy.
"All the backslashing and each that doesn't matter, it mostly gets down to what are you going to bash if you get into the Senate seat," said Jennifer Jordan, who worries astir the system and rising state and nutrient prices.
Most polls person the brace virtually tied, and the CBS News Battleground Tracker has Georgia arsenic a "toss up" state, with conscionable 25 days until Election Day. Republicans nationwide are keeping their eyes connected the Peach State arsenic they effort to enactment to instrumentality backmost power of the Senate, presently divided 50-50, but nether Democratic power due to the fact that Vice President Kamala Harris breaks immoderate tie.
Early voting starts Monday. Traditionally, Democrats bash amended successful aboriginal voting, truthful dense turnout could beryllium an indicator that favors Warnock, portion lighter turnout could beryllium affirmative for Walker.
Thanks for speechmaking CBS NEWS.
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