The message in Republican Herschel Walker’s final television advertisement of his Senate campaign is simple: Democrats have made a mess of the country under President Joe Biden, but recovery can begin, immediately, by ousting Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
The Walker campaign has put 1,000 gross ratings points behind this 30-second spot ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections — in other words, it’s a healthy advertising buy to close out a closely watched Senate contest. The decision to go with a single television ad in the final seven days of this toss-up race also presents a stark contrast with Warnock, who is airing five different spots, according to firms that monitor political advertising.
Warnock’s strategy reveals the difficult needle he needs to thread to survive in a midterm election battle that could decide the Senate majority.
Biden’s job approval ratings are under 40% in Georgia amid voters’ concerns about inflation, crime, and other issues. To hold on in this bona fide swing state, Warnock needs to outrun Biden significantly, winning crossover votes from independents and soft Republicans in the Atlanta suburbs who are going to vote to reelect Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), while maximizing the support of Democratic base voters.
All Walker has to do is tie Warnock to Biden and equate a vote for the incumbent Democrat with a vote to continue the president’s legislative agenda. That’s exactly what he’s trying to do. Polling suggests it just might work. Despite navigating allegations that years ago, Walker encouraged ex-girlfriends to obtain abortions, and paid for the procedures, the Republican appears to have the momentum and leads Warnock in polling averages.
“Raphael Warnock and Joe Biden have made the lives of Georgians worse than they were two years ago. The buck stops here because I’m not going to let them keep putting us down,” Walker said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday. “We’ve got less than a week left until we beat Raphael Warnock and take back this seat for the people.”
Walker’s comments are basically a variation of what he says speaking straight to camera in his closing television advertisement, remarks preceded by video clips painting a dire picture of the direction of the country since Biden ousted former President Donald Trump in 2020. You can view the spot here:
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Warnock, a Christian pastor, won his Senate seat in a Jan. 5, 2021, special election runoff, defeating then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R), whom Kemp appointed to fill a vacancy one year earlier. Walker, a former professional football player and Heisman Trophy-winning running back who played at the University of Georgia in the early 1980s, was recruited into the Senate race by Trump and endorsed by the former president.
