McConnell says GOP will "stick with" Walker in wake of abortion scandal
Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a campaign event on Oct. 11 in Carrollton, Ga. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage via Getty Images
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a CNN interview Tuesday that the Republican Party will "stick with" Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker amid fallout over allegations that he paid for an abortion.
Why it matters: GOP leaders including former President Trump have doubled down on their support for Walker since a woman came forward accusing the former football star — who believes abortion should be illegal, including in cases of rape and incest — of paying for her to get the procedure in 2009.
What he's saying: "I think we’re going to stick with Walker and all the effort we put in through SLF [Senate Leadership Fund], we’re going take it all the way to the end," McConnell told CNN when asked if he was concerned about the news reports, which Walker has denied. SLF is a Republican PAC with ties to McConnell.
- "I talk to him fairly often," McConnell added. "I think they’re going to hang in there and scrap to the finish."
Worth noting: Republicans' path to the Senate majority depends largely on Walker's campaign. Walker had McConnell's backing in the primary election.
- His race against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is viewed as one of the GOP's best chances to pick up a Senate seat this November and win back control of the chamber, Axios' Herb Scribner notes.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct that Sen. Mitch McConnell is the Senate minority leader, not the House minority leader.