Warnock wrote of Butts’ campaigns to remove liquor and cigarette advertising from Black neighborhoods and his rallies against violent and misogynistic lyrics in rap music in his “A Way Out of No Way” memoir. While they didn’t always agree, Warnock wrote, he developed respect for how Butts took ministry beyond the pulpit.

Warnock was featured on two pulpits Sunday, delivering the sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church before heading to the dReam Center Church to speak to parishioners about early voting as part of “Souls to the Polls” Sunday.

Head Pastor William Murphy told the crowd to pay attention to the politicians who show up in person to ask for their vote.

“I can’t tell you who to vote for; I’m not telling you who to vote for,” he said. “But if it was me, I’m voting for the people who came to see about me.”

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What to watch in final Abrams-Kemp debate

Gov. Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams will meet Sunday in their final televised debate with a 7 p.m. showdown hosted by WSB-TV. Polls show the Republican with a solid lead over Abrams, who is looking to shake up the dynamic ahead of the last week of early voting.

Click here to read more on what themes are expected tonight and how to watch.

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Revving up the ground game

DECATUR – Cara Allen and Alexx Vosmeier were engrossed in a rerun of “Law and Order: SVU” when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Standing outside their home, to their surprise, was U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.

After a quick scramble – the two were in their pajamas enjoying a lazy Sunday morning – they each told the Democrat they had already cast their ballot for him and used the impromptu moment to stress the need for expanded healthcare.

“We are in that awkward space where it’s too expensive to pay for coverage but we make too much to have assistance,” said Vosmeier, a hair stylist who lamented that it was cheaper to deal with her broken foot without insurance.

Warnock kicked off a spate of canvassing events aimed at turning out the vote ahead of the final week of early voting in Georgia. More than 1.2 million Georgians have already voted, and both parties are trying to bank as many votes as they can ahead of Election Day.

At a stop earlier this week in Savannah, Warnock reunited with U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff to highlight new turnout efforts. And Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor, has pressed to expand the grassroots machine she helped build.

This campaign, however, Republicans may be keeping pace with the Democratic ground game. After a recent event in Macon, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and Republican National Committee chair Ronna Romney McDaniel highlighted GOP efforts by targeting likely Republican households with pinpoint accuracy.

Gov. Brian Kemp speaks often about pumping his campaign’s ample resources into building an effective field operation for the entire Republican ticket.

Warnock door-knocking trip didn’t venture into hostile territory. He carried the DeKalb County precinct he visited Sunday by an overwhelming margin, and many of the tidy lawns and doorsteps were decorated with Democratic signs.

One of the main missions for the legions of canvassers from both parties is to lock in the “lowest hanging fruit” – the most likely voters – so they can shift more resources to target those who often skip midterm elections.

Warnock’s brief canvassing trip hit a few surprised households – and a few unanswered knocks.

“That’s how you know we didn’t set this up,” the Democrat quipped.

“They’re just a little bit surprised to see their local U.S. senator standing at their door,” he added with a chuckle. “I’m enjoying this. And, you know, it’s similar to being the pastor – you spend time with the flock.”

Surprised may have been an understatement to describe the reaction of Laqonda Ellis, who at first didn’t believe the Democrat was standing outside her home.

“My daughter told me he was out here – and I was shocked,” she said. “I told him I voted for him, of course.”

Before he left, she made one request.

“I had to take a selfie with him.”