U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker is winning over the Washington political establishment after facing initial skepticism from GOP leaders worried he’d be a weak nominee in a race against U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell endorsed the former football star on Wednesday, giving him the crucial support of another powerful Republican figure. He had already earned the blessing of former President Donald Trump, a longtime friend of Walker’s who encouraged him to get in the race that could decide control of the chamber.
“Herschel is the only one who can unite the party, defeat Sen. Warnock and help us take back the Senate,” McConnell said. “I look forward to working with Herschel in Washington to get the job done.”
It was McConnell’s first endorsement of a non-incumbent in the 2022 cycle and the product of weeks of discussions between the two camps. He is the sixth U.S. senator to back Walker’s bid, joining a roster that includes U.S. Sen. John Thune, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican, who announced his support for the Georgia candidate earlier this week.
The endorsements, along with Walker’s high name recognition from his days playing football at the University of Georgia, have given the Republican cover to attempt a nontraditional campaign strategy. He’s given only a few local interviews and often skirts issues that typically motivate the GOP base as he eyes a broader electorate that would vote in November 2022.
Walker still must confront hurdles next year from his own party. Several GOP challengers are still in the running, including Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and former Navy SEAL Latham Saddler. Powerful outside groups, such as the National Republican Senatorial Committee, are also still on the sidelines.
Black has been unflinching in his criticism of Walker, accusing his rival of running a “Biden in the basement strategy” to avoid probing questions on his policy stances, his past abstention from GOP politics, his decades-long residency in Texas or his history of violent behavior toward women.
“This is the same gang that lost the Senate majority and both Georgia seats last year,” said Dan McLagan, a spokesman for Black. “I doubt Georgia Republicans are going to go down that path again.”
Black also has nailed down the support of key Georgia Republicans, including former Gov. Nathan Deal and ex-U.S. Rep. Doug Collins. Each praised his record in public office and emphasized Black’s ties to the conservative grassroots base in North Georgia.
Still, McConnell’s endorsement could reflect a new desire to clear the field for Walker and avoid the sort of divisive primary that weakened then-U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler last year ahead of a runoff against Warnock, the first Black senator in Georgia history.
It’s a notable shift for McConnell. His allies had previously expressed concern about Walker’s candidacy, and McConnell drew attention when he met with Loeffler and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue to discuss the race before Walker announced his candidacy.
Warnock is entering the 2022 cycle in a position of strength, with a united Democratic Party behind him and a record-breaking fundraising haul. Yet he’ll also have to rebuild the delicate coalition of voters who powered him to an upset runoff victory while defending President Joe Biden’s agenda.
“We will have plenty of time to discuss that,” Warnock told CNN when asked about the endorsement. He then added of Walker: “Has he moved to Georgia yet?”
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