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Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker are facing disconnected in their highly-anticipated Senate debate in Savannah, Georgia that began astatine 7 p.m..
The Senate contention is 1 of the astir fiercely competitory races this midterm rhythm arsenic Republicans effort to retake power of the Senate from Democrats. Control of the Senate is evenly divided with Democrats successful complaint by virtuousness of Vice President Kamala Harris arsenic the tie-breaking vote.
Republicans request conscionable a net gain of 1 spot successful the Senate to triumph backmost control, and the Peach State could beryllium the difference.
Walker has go embroiled successful ungraded after The Daily Beast reported the former University of Georgia shot subordinate personally paid an ex-girlfriend to get an termination implicit a decennary ago. (Walker is vehemently anti-abortion.)
Report: Georgia GOP Senate campaigner Herschel Walker pressed pistillate to person 2nd abortion
Walker called the report, which USA TODAY has not verified, "a flat-out lie." But conscionable days later, The New York Times reported that Walker urged the pistillate to terminate a 2nd gestation 2 years later.
Warnock has avoided straight attacking Walker's termination allegations and alternatively focusing connected the Supreme Court's Dobbs determination to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade determination legalizing abortion.
"We'll spot however each of this plays out," Warnock said astatine a run rally successful Columbus, Georgia implicit the weekend. "But I'm focused squarely connected the healthcare needs of my constituents, including reproductive healthcare."
The October surprise, governmental observers note, whitethorn not person overmuch interaction upon the race.
Savannah Morning News: Live updates: US Senate candidates Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock look disconnected successful Savannah debate
Will an October astonishment matter?: Walker termination communicative a midterm test
Walker faces termination accusations caput on
Walker was asked straight to respond to caller contention that helium paid a past woman to get an termination and urged her to person a 2nd one.
On stage, helium repeated erstwhile again that the claims are “a lie” and said helium is “not backing down.”
“Georgia is simply a authorities that respects life,” Walker said astir his beardown stance against termination access, which helium has staked his run connected passim the election.
- Savannah Kuchar
Both candidates would judge result of predetermination nary substance the winner
Both candidates, nary substance the winner, said they would judge the results of the predetermination successful November.
“Yes,” some Walker and Warnock answered promptly erstwhile asked.
- Ken Tran
Warnock, Walker disagree connected voting rights
Georgia was 1 of galore states that passed stricter predetermination laws successful the aftermath of the 2020 election. The caller rules spawned protests and firm boycotts successful the state.
But the 2 men didn’t hold connected the ramification of those caller rules.
“There is no question that SB 202 makes voting harder, and that is the intent,” Warnock said, referring to the bill's number.
Walker countered however the changes made it easier to vote, but “harder to cheat.” But the GOP candidate, who was recruited by erstwhile President Donald Trump to run, acknowledged Biden won the past statesmanlike election.
- Phillip M. Bailey
Walker acknowledged Biden won 2020 election
During the Senate statement Warnock admitted that President Joe Biden won the 2020 statesmanlike election.
“President Biden Warren and Senator Warnock won, that’s the crushed I decided to run,” Walker said. “Because we request a alteration successful Washington. we request leaders that's going to basal up to overseas leaders.”
Walker is being backed by erstwhile president Donald Trump who has refused to concede that helium mislaid 2 years agone and has blamed Biden's triumph connected baseless claims of wide elector fraud.
- Mabinty Quarshie
Warnock addressed Georgians' fiscal hardships
Warnock said determination is “no question that radical are feeling symptom astatine the market store” and the state pump.
“I’ve stood up for mean Georgia families clip and clip again,” helium said, citing his contributions to passing the Inflation Reduction Act and a cap on the outgo of prescription drugs for seniors.
He called retired Walker who antecedently said helium would not person supported the measure.
“I deliberation helium should archer the radical of Georgia wherefore helium thinks they should person costly insulin,” Warnock said.
Walker said successful response, "You know, I judge successful reducing insulin, but astatine the aforesaid clip you got to devour right."
- Savannah Kuchar
Energy independency is needed to trim inflation, Walker says
The system is astatine the apical of caput for the bulk of voters and the contented was archetypal posed to Walker, who said vigor independency is what tin trim precocious ostentation rates.
“We got to go vigor autarkic again,” said Walker. He argued that lipid and state imports are not lone an “inflation problem,” but besides a “national information problem.”
Walker attacked Warnock and accused him of being retired of interaction with voters successful Georgia.
“He (Warnock) mentioned that helium grew up successful Savannah with 12 siblings,” Walker said. “Well successful this country astir radical unrecorded paycheck to paycheck,”
- Ken Tran
Sen. Raphael Warnock makes an opening lawsuit for reelection
In his opening statement, Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock stressed the value of his household and assemblage arsenic portion of his entreaty for reelection.
“My household taught maine the value of hard work, and however to physique the beloved assemblage that Dr. (Martin Luther) King utilized to speech about,” Warnock said.
“And I brought that tone to the Senate,” helium added. He besides said that the prime connected who is champion acceptable to correspond Georgia is "clear."
— Mabinty Quarshie
Walker leads with faith, but pivots to Biden and civilization wars
Walker started his opening connection by touting his religion and household upbringing, earlier rapidly pivoting to connecting Warnock to Biden.
The erstwhile shot prima said his hostile is going to effort to “sweet talk” voters, who helium said a suffering nether ostentation and higher taxes.
Walker besides inserted a blistery fastener taste contented astatine the outset by raising the contented of transgender students participating successful schoolhouse sports, saying Warnock wants to “put men successful women’s sports.”.
— Phillip M. Bailey
The Walker-Warnock statement begins
The Georgia Senate statement betwixt Republican Herschel Walker and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock started astatine 7 p.m. ET. Walker and Warnock are gathering astatine the J.W. Marriott Savannah.
This is the archetypal and lone presently scheduled statement betwixt the 2 Senate candidates.
The stakes are precocious arsenic the embattled Walker volition apt look questions implicit caller reports helium paid for an ex-girlfriend’s termination successful 2009.
- Mabinty Quarshie
How to watch
Tonight’s statement is being held riverside at the J.W. Marriott Savannah. Hosted by Nextstar media, the lawsuit volition statesman astatine 7 p.m. in beforehand of a unrecorded audience. Attendance though is by campaign-invite only.
Everyone other tin ticker the statement connected 1 of Nextstar’s several local channels oregon via livestream connected their websites.
Here's a link to the livestream.
- Savannah Kuchar
Georgia 1 of the astir competitory 2022 races
Given the 50-50 Senate makeup, the Peach State contention is 1 of the astir important this fall.
Even successful the aftermath of Walker’s termination controversy, and different slips on the run trail, polls suggest Georgia remains 1 of the astir evenly divided states.
Political forecasters astatine The Cook Political Report and The Crystal Ball, for instance, some fertile it arsenic a toss-up. The website FiveThirtyEight, which analyzes polling data, says Warnock is lone “slightly favored.”
In an epoch wherever candidates are progressively avoiding debates and with fewer undecided voters, Friday’s statement could beryllium a captious infinitesimal for some contenders.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Governor's race: In the choky contention for Georgia governor, Black men look arsenic Stacey Abrams' cardinal voters
Savannah Democrats stump for Warnock
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and respective salient Democrats hosted a property lawsuit connected behalf of Sen. Raphael Warnock successful Monterey Square. Johnson called Savannah "the halfway of the governmental universe" successful a motion to Friday night's debate.
Warnock did not be due to the fact that helium was prepping for the debate.
Other dignitaries included Savannah Alderman Linda Wilder Bryan, Chatham Commissioner Aaron Whitely, Georgia House Rep. Derek Mallow, Georgia House campaigner Anne Allen Westbrook and U.S. House campaigner Wade Herring.
—Adam Van Brimmer, Savannah Morning News
Walker has been lowering expectations for weeks
Ahead of tonight’s debate, Walker, a erstwhile shot star, has been downplaying his statement skills.
During a September run halt astatine the Port of Savannah, for instance, helium said: “I’m not that smart.”
Warnock is simply a preacher, Walker said, who volition “show up and embarrass maine astatine the debate.”
Warnock, pastor of the Atlanta’s legendary Ebeneezer Baptist Church, is known arsenic an fantabulous orator and communicator connected the run trail.
Many judge the 2 wouldn’t adjacent look disconnected successful a debate, but reports accidental Walker is taking the upcoming clash seriously.
CNN reports the Republican challenger is being advised by erstwhile House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Georgia native, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina. He besides is watching footage of Warnock’s past statement against then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler during the 2020 Senate race.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Abortion contented apt to arise
Since The Daily Beast broke quality saying Walker paid a pistillate successful 2009 for an abortion, the Republican challenger has been criticized for his alleged hypocrisy. Throughout his campaign, Walker has maintained a strict stance against abortion access, including against exemptions for rape oregon incest.
Though Warnock has not yet directly responded to his opponent’s controversy, the taxable volition astir surely travel up tonight and beryllium an accidental for the Democratic incumbent to marque a nationalist comment.
In effect to both the original news and a follow-up story saying Walker urged the aforesaid pistillate to person a 2nd abortion, Walker has continued to contradict the allegations.
— Savannah Kuchar
Massive fundraising fuels campaigns
The toss-up Senate spot has drawn monolithic amounts of wealth to the race.
From the commencement of July to the extremity of September, Warnock's run brought successful $26.3 cardinal and $90 cardinal since winning his runoff astir 2 years ago. In the astir caller quarter, Walker raised $12 cardinal — helium has totaled $33 cardinal since the commencement of the campaign. Warnock has $13.7 cardinal connected hand, Walker had $7 million.
Abortion? Inflation?: What volition Herschel Walker-Raphael Warnock U.S. Senate statement cover?
Even arsenic Walker's run contended with the termination controversy, the Trump-backed ace PAC MAGA Inc. bought $750,000 successful ads successful Georgia to backmost Walker. Since his archetypal tally for Senate, Warnock has raised $12 cardinal from wrong Georgia, and implicit 10 times arsenic overmuch from out-of-state donors crossed the country, according to campaign concern transparency website Open Secrets.
—Abraham Kenmore, Savannah Morning News
Will Walker bring up Warnock’s home troubles?
Much has been said astir Walker’s idiosyncratic troubles and controversies, which had dogged his campaign.
But Warnock’s idiosyncratic beingness is thing Republicans person argued isn't without blemishes either.
In 2020, the GOP often brought up Warnock’s messy divorce. Earlier this year, for instance, the senator's ex-wife accused successful court of neglecting visitation with their 2 young children and failing to wage childcare expenses.
Days earlier the statement a governmental enactment radical backing Walker released a TV spot utilizing constabulary bodycam footage of a anterior incidental wherever Warnock’s ex-wife said helium was a “good actor.”
— Phillip M. Bailey
Biden’s unpopularity v. ‘pattern of lies’
The Warnock and Walker campaigns are telegraphing what each contender wants the absorption connected up of their archetypal and lone statement Friday.
Walker plans to gully attraction to however the Democratic incumbent has voted successful favour of President Joe Biden’s docket and “record-high inflation,” the GOP challenger’s run told the Associated Press.
Roughly 53% of Georgia voters disapprove of the president, according to a Civiqs survey released past month.
Warnock plans to spell connected the violative arsenic good portion touting his legislative accomplishments, however. The legislator volition people Walker’s “pattern of lies, disturbing behaviour and positions,” the Warnock run said successful a memo released Friday.
- Phillip M. Bailey
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