The showdown between U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker is finally here.
The stakes are sky-high for the debate, which has attracted dozens of reporters and national media attention to Savannah. Recent polls show a neck-and-neck race between the two rivals, raising the prospect of a December runoff if neither Warnock nor Walker wins 50%-plus-one vote to win outright. The Libertarian running for Senate, Chase Oliver, was not invited to participate
Here’s what you should know going into the debate:
- How to watch: The 7 p.m. debate will last for one hour and be available only on Nexstar outlets in Georgia, including Fox 5 in Atlanta.
- The setting: Heeding Walker’s demands for a live audience, organizers picked a 440-seat venue in the new JW Marriot at Plant Riverside. But access is tightly controlled, with no tickets available to the general public. Warnock grew up in Savannah’s nearby Kayton Homes project.
- The expectations: Walker has tried to lower expectations, saying he is a “country boy” who isn’t that smart. But keep in mind that he is a professional motivational speaker and has quietly prepared for months with a debate coach, policy wonks and operatives skilled at verbal jousting. It’s Walker’s first-ever debate, while Warnock has the 2020 debates behind him, along with a career in the pulpit.
- The playbook: Dueling memos from the two camps offered a hint at their debate strategies. Warnock’s advisers questioned Walker’s credibility and promised to bring up his history of violent and erratic behavior, including threats to kill his ex-wife. But they steered clear of reports that Walker paid for a girlfriend’s 2009 abortion.
How Walker decides to target Warnock will reveal what polling suggests are the senator’s biggest vulnerabilities. Among them: A 2020 dispute between Warnock and his ex-wife and a new report scrutinizing Warnock’s role in a troubled apartment project.
Warnock will try to establish his independent brand, while Walker will work to tie his opponent to President Joe Biden and his 38% approval rating early and often.
- A sequel? Don’t bet on it. Although Walker has yet to formally reject the Atlanta Press Club’s invitation for a Sunday debate, his advisers say he will be a no-show at the event.
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LISTEN UP. We have a full preview of tonight’s debate on the Friday edition of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher.
And tune in Saturday morning for a special post-debate recap episode, too.
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BIDEN FOR ABRAMS. We told you earlier this week that gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said she was in talks with the Biden Administration about possibly having the president come to Georgia and stump on her behalf.
This evening, she will get the second-best thing, first lady Jill Biden. After a visit with military members and their families at Fort Benning, the first lady will fly to Atlanta to deliver remarks at an Abrams fundraiser.
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
Credit: Stephen B. Morton for the AJC
Abrams told reporters Thursday that she’s excited to be with Jill Biden “because she brings both a voice and a gravity to the issues we face in the state.”
Friday’s event will not be open to the public, but will have pooled press access.
With President Joe Biden’s approval continuing to sag in Georgia, there are risks for Abrams to continue to tie herself so closely to his administration. But she has continued to do so, and Friday night’s event is the most direct involvement in Georgia from the Biden administration so far.
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PENCE FOR JONES. Republicans have their own national figures jetting in for the candidates, too. Former Vice President Mike Pence was in Atlanta Thursday at a fundraiser for lieutenant governor nominee Burt Jones and Tyler Harper, the GOP nominee for agriculture commissioner.
Pence, Jones and Harper have a history together. Harper and Jones were among legislators who traveled to Washington on Jan. 5, 2021, to take part in a fundraiser hosted by Pence. Jones carried with him a letter signed by 16 legislators pressing Pence to delay certifying the election results, but says he never delivered it.
On Thursday night, Pence called Jones “a man of faith and integrity” and said, “The opportunity to come here and stand with you, I said yes in a heartbeat.”
Also spotted at the event at the Cherokee Town and Country Club: Former senator Kelly Loeffler and former Pence aide (and current Atlantan) Nick Ayers.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
HIDDEN MIC. Tipsters sent us audio of Gov. Brian Kemp at a recent stop in Blakely where he was asked by someone posing as a supporter whether he backs a “statewide ban on the destruction of embryos.”
“Would that pass the Legislature? Is that possible?” the person asks, leading another voice to say it could be one of several proposals that could come forward.
“Yeah, we barely got the heartbeat bill passed, one vote,” Kemp responded.
“Do you like the idea?” the questioner asked.
“Yeah,” the governor said.
Kemp’s campaign said the Republican would not support such a proposal if it’s formally introduced.
“The governor has been abundantly clear that his priorities for a second term are to build on Georgia’s record economic success, invest in and support our schools, and keep our communities safe,” said Kemp spokesman Tate Mitchell.
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TEXT DPG. The Democratic Party of Georgia is adding a new texting feature to its traditional Voter Protection Hotline efforts.
Georgians can now call or text the hotline in six languages (English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Hindi, and Vietnamese). DPG staff will be on hand for questions or reports of problems related to voting deadlines, absentee voting, early voting in person, election day voting, and more.
The number to call or text is 888-730-5816.
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ABORTION RIGHTS. The #VOTEPROCHOICE Action Fund has launched a six-figure advertising campaign to promote a voter guide that highlights candidates’ stances on abortion in Georgia and other battleground states.
#VOTEPROCHOICE is a national advocacy group promoting abortion access and lawmakers who promise to expand abortion rights.
You can find the guide here.
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Credit: John Spink / AJC
Credit: John Spink / AJC
Elections official Gabriel Sterling’s famous 2020 warning that election deniers should stop promoting conspiracies before “someone gets shot” is being used in ads to appeal to swing Georgia voters.
Wide Angle Research, a left-leaning outside group, released a “Count It Our Way” ad that refers to then-President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the Georgia election.
It’s among a series of ads from the campaign that include Sterling’s terse admonition. Ineke Mushovic, the organization’s executive director, said it’s designed to urge voters to reject “the extreme positions of today’s Republican leaders.” Unsaid in the ads: Sterling himself is a Republican.
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SUBPOENAING TRUMP. The likely final public hearing of the House Select Committee on January 6th culminated with members voting unanimously to subpoena former President Donald Trump for his testimony about his actions leading up to the deadly riot.
It’s unlikely that Trump will voluntarily comply with the subpoena, which he ridiculed on his social media site. And with the committee scheduled to wrap its work by the end of the year, it’s unlikely that members have time to go through the legal channels needed to force him to testify.
Credit: Pete Marovich / The New York Times
Credit: Pete Marovich / The New York Times
Even if the move is symbolic, it created a weighty cap to a 2½ hour hearing. The day also included never-before-seen footage of congressional leaders pleading for help from top government officials so that they could reconvene and finish certifying the presidential election.
In laying out the case for subpoenaing Trump, members of the committee included a portion of the phone call Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, when Trump said “I need 11,000 votes” and encouraged state GOP leaders to “find” them.
“This call and other related activity is now the focus of an ongoing criminal investigation in Fulton County, Georgia,” Rep. Elaine Luria, a member of the committee, said.
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ON THE TRAIL:
- U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter will join with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Republican National Committee for a “get out the vote” rally in support of Herschel Walker ahead of tonight’s debate. The event will be at 1:00 p.m. at the Georgia Victory Savannah Field Office.
Credit: Nathan Posner for The Atlanta-Journal-Constitution
Credit: Nathan Posner for The Atlanta-Journal-Constitution
- Citizens for a Greater Georgia, the political committee founded by former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, and the Atlanta Young Republicans will host a “day of action” supporting Gov. Brian Kemp, Insurance Commissioner John King, and Liz Hausmann, a candidate for state Senate. Loeffler, King and Hausmann will deliver remarks from the PAC’s Roswell headquarters Saturday morning then go canvassing door-to-door in nearby neighborhoods.
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PERSONNEL NEWS. Former state Rep. Regina Quick, an ex-superior court judge who now is Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s top legal adviser, has a new job. She’s joining the state Department of Human Services as its general counsel on Nov. 1.
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VOTERS’ GUIDE. With early voting starting Monday, the AJC Voters’ Guide is now available with information about candidates up and down the ticket.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
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