Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for Georgia’s Senate seat, has refused to answer questions about the actions he will take if he wins office.
Walker has made his stances on certain topics known, including his belief that abortion should be banned outright with no exceptions whatsoever. But journalists in Georgia have struggled to pinpoint where he stands on a number of issues, noting that the candidate has spoken in “generalities” when it comes to the legislation that he would support if he defeats his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, in this year’s midterm race.
When asked to delve into his policy stances in a recent interview, Walker, a former professional football player and friend of former President Donald Trump, lashed out at reporters.
“Have you asked my opponent? Don’t play games,” he said, according to reporting from Atlanta’s NBC affiliate station 11Alive. “You’re playing games.”
Walker’s campaign site is also scant on details regarding the issues. One section of the site claims that Walker will put “Georgia and Georgians First,” but doesn’t elaborate on what that would actually look like. Although the section does discuss lowering taxes and creating jobs, it doesn’t explain how those goals will be achieved, or who they will benefit.
A section titled “Make America Energy Independent” incorrectly blames Democrats for rising gas prices, saying that “Herschel will fight to make America energy independent once again, leading to lower gas prices, more American jobs being brought back from overseas, and stronger national security.” But it doesn’t explain how Walker plans to achieve energy independence if elected to the Senate.
Warnock’s website, on the other hand, provides multiple paragraphs explaining his plans and his accomplishments relating to the issues.
The incumbent governor’s campaign site has an entire section dedicated to agricultural issues in Georgia. In it, he discusses how he has helped farmers in the state in the less than two years since his initial election, as well as his desire to make the industry more equitable for farmers in underserved communities. Meanwhile, Walker doesn’t have a specific page on farmers or agriculture, and merely names the industry as one of many he will fight for “every day” if elected.
Last week, in discussing his party’s chances in the midterms, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) noted that there’s an issue of “candidate quality” among Republicans — particularly in the Senate — that may result in Democrats maintaining control of the chamber after this year’s fall races.
In an opinion column for The Hill that was published on Monday, political consultants Douglas Schoen and Zoe Young refer to Walker as one of many “deleterious candidates” being put forth by Republicans.
“These candidates’ extreme positions, lack of experience or personal vulnerabilities make them far more susceptible to defeat in a statewide race than a more mainstream Republican would be,” they wrote.
Cook Political Report currently deems control of the Senate as a “toss-up.” Earlier this year, the newsletter predicted that the GOP would win between 15-30 seats in the midterms, wresting control of that chamber from Democrats. Now, Cook believes the GOP will only win between 10-20 seats — but even those seats aren’t guaranteed.
The Cook Political Report “didn’t rule out the possibility that Democrats could hold on to the majority with an increased voter turnout, which is widely expected this year from an agitated electorate,” HuffPost reporter Mary Papenfuss wrote.
