Republicans growing nervous about Georgia runoff, Walker's chances - The Washington Post

Seth Weathers, a Georgia manager for Trump’s 2016 campaign, antecedently expressed assurance that Walker would triumph successful a runoff. Now, helium said, looking astatine aboriginal voting turnout, “I person much concern,” and helium is unsure who volition prevail.

“Herschel Walker doesn’t person the capableness to onshore a closing message,” said Ben Burnett, a Republican podcast big successful Georgia and erstwhile metropolis councilman successful Alpharetta, an Atlanta-area suburb. “And the affiliation and enactment that helium got from Donald Trump … is inactive a vessel anchor astir him with the 5 percent of voters that helium couldn’t spend to lose.”

Democrats defied humanities trends and debased support ratings for Biden to bounds losses successful the U.S. House, wherever a constrictive GOP bulk volition instrumentality power adjacent year. Their bigger triumph was clinching a 50th Senate seat, which assured they would clasp power of the chamber, with Vice President Harris empowered to formed tiebreaking votes. Democrats are hoping to grow that constrictive bulk Tuesday, erstwhile the predetermination successful Georgia concludes.

Polls amusement a adjacent contention successful the runoff, which was triggered due to the fact that nary campaigner received a bulk of the ballot successful the Nov. 8 election. A CNN survey released Friday showed Warnock, elder pastor astatine Atlanta’s historical Ebenezer Baptist Church who won his spot past year, with a constrictive borderline implicit Walker, a first-time campaigner known for his prima shot career.

Even though power of the Senate is not successful the equilibrium arsenic it was successful past year’s Georgia runoffs, wherever Warnock won a peculiar election, there are inactive precocious stakes for some parties, since astonishment vacancies are not uncommon and a brace of centrist Democratic senators wield tremendous powerfulness implicit their party’s agenda. Democrats besides look a hard 2024 Senate representation and request each spot they tin muster heading into a challenging cycle.

In the closing stages of the contention present successful Georgia, Walker’s idiosyncratic scandals and meandering comments proceed to complicate GOP efforts to harness elector vexation with Biden and the absorption of the country, immoderate Republicans said. Democrats person besides sought to punctual voters of Walker’s ties to Trump, who elevated the erstwhile moving backmost successful the superior with an endorsement, but has precocious stayed distant from Georgia.

Multiple women person accused Walker of home violence. Two erstwhile girlfriends person claimed that helium encouraged them to get abortions contempt his enactment for strict bans. Walker denies those claims. He besides has made mendacious claims about his inheritance — astatine 1 constituent suggesting helium worked arsenic an FBI cause — and this week drew scrutiny for stating earlier this twelvemonth that helium lives successful Texas. Public records showing helium took a taxation exemption connected a Texas spot meant for superior residences person fueled further attacks from critics.

Warnock, who says the contention is astir “character and competence,” has hammered Walker arsenic unfit for the job, seizing connected puzzling comments — among them a viral digression from the run way wherever Walker compared werewolves and vampires portion discussing a movie. “Vampires” and “werewolves” started popping up successful connection clouds of Georgians’ associations with Walker, according to Democratic strategists, adjacent earlier Warnock launched an advertisement successful which voters reacted to the comments with disbelief.

Walker’s run did not respond to requests for comment. Surrogates and supporters either disregard the allegations against him oregon accidental they deliberation he’s changed and repented.

“I’m not going to basal up present contiguous and archer you Herschel Walker’s a cleanable man,” Georgia pastor George Dillard said Friday astatine a rally with the candidate, saying Walker “understands forgiveness due to the fact that helium has asked his savior for it, and helium has received it, and present helium wants to stock it.”

Republicans accidental they are ramping up attacks connected Warnock’s quality successful return. But they are besides inactive framing the contention astir Biden, calling Warnock a rubber stamp for the president and pitching a ballot for Walker arsenic a ballot against ostentation and the nationalist Democratic agenda. Walker often criticizes Warnock for voting with Biden 96 percent of the time.

“He says to beryllium a legislator you person to cognize immoderate things. Well, what I bash cognize is you haven’t done a bully occupation since you’ve been successful Washington,” Walker said astatine a caller halt successful Powder Springs, a suburb of Atlanta. “What I bash cognize is you are a unspeakable legislator … you get an F.”

Warnock has touted Democratic legislative achievements connected the way portion besides focusing heavy connected his hostile and pitching himself to independents and Republicans who are not enthusiastic astir the GOP candidate.

“I judge successful my psyche that Georgia knows that Georgia is amended than Herschel Walker,” helium told supporters Thursday astatine a rally with erstwhile president Barack Obama, Democrats’ prima surrogate arsenic Warnock seeks region from Biden, who has not visited Georgia during the runoff. “You merit a legislator who cares capable astir the radical to really cognize the issues. You merit a legislator who volition archer you the truth. You merit a legislator who really lives successful Georgia.”

Drawing an estimated 5,000 radical connected his 2nd run travel to Georgia this year, Obama said Warnock’s reelection would springiness the enactment “more breathing country connected important bills” — but echoed different Warnock allies’ efforts to absorption connected the candidates themselves. “Fifty-one is amended than 50 due to the fact that it means Reverend Warnock volition support representing you successful Washington. That’s the champion reason,” helium said.

Democrats are inactive facing a challenging governmental situation and struggled successful Georgia connected Nov. 8, losing each statewide contention speech from the Senate contest, adjacent arsenic they overperformed expectations crossed the country. “At this point, it’s not adjacent truly a question of whose basal is much excited,” argued 1 Republican strategist moving connected the runoff, who similar others interviewed for this communicative spoke connected the information of anonymity to beryllium much candid. “It’s much a question of whose basal is little depressed.”

Walker and his allies besides person highlighted issues that galvanize the Republican base, with 1 advertisement featuring the campaigner alongside a erstwhile pistillate assemblage jock who says a transgender pistillate shouldn’t person been capable to vie with her successful NCAA swimming championships. At run stops wherever voters athletics Georgia Bulldogs gear, Walker gets reliable applause criticizing “gender ideology” successful schools and “wokeness” successful the military.

Democrats person agelong outspent Republicans connected ads successful the race, arsenic Walker — 1 of the GOP’s amended fundraisers successful cardinal Senate races — struggles to lucifer Warnock’s record-breaking hauls. But the spread has widened successful the runoff play arsenic Walker gets little assistance from extracurricular groups. Democrats are spending astir doubly arsenic overmuch connected ads successful this last phase, according to the tracking steadfast AdImpact, and this week said they are pouring an further $11 million into get-out-the-vote efforts for Warnock.

Trump talks regularly with Walker and mightiness clasp a tele-rally for him but does not program to run for him successful person, according to Trump advisers, who said teams for Trump and Walker agreed it wouldn’t beryllium productive. Walker has not mentioned Trump astatine caller rallies.

Democratic victories successful midterm battlegrounds against Trump-aligned candidates person spurred much efforts to item the power of the 45th president, who recently announced helium is running for the White House again successful 2024. Democratic strategists person said they judge plaything voters are turned disconnected by immoderate of the utmost positions and combative rhetoric the erstwhile president and his allies espouse. Warnock’s run debuted an advertisement during the runoff centered connected Trump’s praise for Walker.

In Georgia and beyond, GOP infighting has intensified implicit the past mates weeks, complicating efforts to contiguous a unified beforehand and connection successful the runoff. There person been galore rounds of finger-pointing implicit what galore successful the enactment spot arsenic disappointing midterm results. Some person openly blamed Trump for the outcomes.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican, declared himself incapable to ballot for either Walker oregon Warnock.

“When there’s part successful the locker room, there’s finger-pointing. It’s usually benignant of the hallmark motion of a losing season,” said Duncan, who has been highly captious of Walker. He drew derision from different Republicans this week aft helium said helium stood successful enactment to ballot but near without casting a ballot.

“We’ve been asked to beryllium squad players arsenic Republicans for excessively long,” added Duncan, who besides has criticized Trump’s grip connected the party. “We’re done being squad players. If we privation to win, we request squad leaders.”

Allies and advisers to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.), caput of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — agelong astatine likelihood implicit midterm strategy — person fought openly during the runoff, trading barbs astir the root of Republicans’ shortfalls and each party’s investments successful the last stretch. Scott unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for Senate GOP enactment aft the election. The Florida Republican precocious aired much nationalist complaints astir the party’s direction.

Early voting successful the runoff has smashed regular records, with much than 300,000 radical casting ballots Tuesday, according to Gabriel Sterling, an authoritative with the caput of state’s office. Democrats are encouraged by a comparatively precocious stock of African American voters, who thin to enactment them.

Republicans said the information shows beardown Election Day turnout tin propulsion them to triumph — but immoderate lamented that Democratic strongholds got a jump-start by opening earlier for voting and said they person grown disquieted astir their base’s increasing penchant for casting ballots connected the past time possible.

Overall, Democratic operatives said they person grown much assured than they were heading into the wide election, erstwhile Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) was caught connected a blistery mic successful precocious October fretting that “we’re going downhill” successful Georgia.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” said J.B. Poersch, president of Senate Majority PAC, a radical aligned with Schumer.

Michael Thurmond, main enforcement of DeKalb County and a Democrat, said he’s encouraged by aboriginal turnout numbers but noted determination was besides beardown aboriginal voting successful immoderate GOP-dominated counties — thing Walker’s run has highlighted. Thurmond said helium thinks galore of Walker’ controversies person energized his supporters and adjacent helped thrust up their enthusiasm.

“It’s going to beryllium a precise adjacent and choky race, and I don’t deliberation anyone should instrumentality thing for granted,” Thurmond said.

Both sides are pouring millions of dollars into elector persuasion efforts, focusing connected the astir 200,000 radical who voted for Gov. Brian Kemp (R) but not Walker successful the wide election. A Warnock advertisement features 1 specified voter; a Kemp advertisement for Walker says helium is voting for idiosyncratic who won’t beryllium “another rubber stamp for Joe Biden.”

Kemp kept his region from Walker connected the run way successful the run-up to Nov. 8, but has played a much nonstop relation since securing his ain reelection. Early successful the runoff, the Senate Leadership Fund, a ace PAC aligned with McConnell, announced a $2 cardinal concern to repurpose Kemp’s turnout cognition for the runoff, with much than 100 paid canvassers.

Democrats person seized connected Walker’s strict stance connected termination amid choler implicit the extremity of Roe v. Wade and its national protections for abortion. They judge specified efforts helped propel them to triumph successful competitory races crossed the country.

Georgia’s prohibition connected termination aft six weeks of gestation was reinstated past week after a tribunal battle. Walker has endorsed that instrumentality and suggested aboriginal connected that helium opposes exceptions to specified bans, though helium aboriginal backtracked.

Martha Zoller, a blimpish speech amusement big successful Georgia, said the contention should hinge connected absorption to Biden and argued that controversies similar the latest scrutiny of Walker’s residency volition person small sway connected the race. Zoller stressed the value of denying Democrats a 51st spot successful the Senate, but added that it’s a much analyzable connection than warring to retake the majority.

“There’s the aged saying, if you’re explaining, you’re losing,” she said.

Knowles reported from Warner Robins, Ga. Wells reported from Atlanta. Josh Dawsey successful Washington contributed to this report.