With his runoff victory behind him, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock gave a clearer endorsement of President Joe Biden than he did during the campaign against Republican Herschel Walker.
He told CBS Mornings on Monday that he would support Biden if he runs for another term in 2024 even as he criticized the premise of the question.
“If he chooses to run, I will support him,” said Warnock. “But I do think we spend so much time in our country focused on the next election, and we’re not thinking often enough about the next generation.”
During the campaign, he dismissed such questions as “pundit” talk to avoid tying himself closely to Biden and his low approval ratings in Georgia. And in his sole televised debate against Walker, he said he hasn’t “spent a minute” thinking about the White House race.
Warnock also responded to whispers that he could be a candidate for national office in 2024 after a runoff win that united liberals and swing voters. He said that another campaign is not on his mind after being on the ballot five times in less than two years.
“I’m finally focused on being able to do the work the people of Georgia have elected me to do,” he said. “In addition to that, I’ve got two children at home, 6 and 4. I promised them a trip to Disney World.”
In the interview, Warnock confirmed that he hadn’t received a concession call from Walker. And he said his victory over the Republican shouldn’t placate concerns that Georgia Republicans enacted new restrictions at the ballot box.
“We should not assume that because I won that voter suppression is not an issue in Georgia. In fact, I had to sue the state of Georgia so that we could get Saturday voting,” he said.
He was pressed about a Wall Street Journal editorial on Monday from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that labeled Warnock an “election denier” for calling for federal voting rights laws.
“The fact that people have had to overcome barriers doesn’t mean those barriers don’t exist,” Warnock said. “We literally saw college students and seniors in lines that were hours and hours and hours long. Maybe he’s happy with that. I’m not. I think we can do better than that.”
Insider’s note: This item was ripped and expanded from the Morning Jolt.
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