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Dec 3, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Walker "one of the worst candidates" in GOP history: Georgia Lt. Gov.

Herb Scribner
Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a campaign rally in Valdosta

Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a campaign rally. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Herschel Walker, a Republican running for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, will "probably go down as one of the worst candidates in our party's history," Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) said in an interview with CBS News.

Why it matters: The comments come mere days before the Dec. 6 Georgia Senate runoff election between Walker and incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.

What he said: Duncan told CBS he supports conservative politics, and that he has "got kids probably that could articulate the conservative platform better than some of the candidates that Donald Trump and his group supported all across the country."

  • "This wasn't the right brand for Republicanism," he added, "and I think Herschel Walker will probably go down as one of the worst candidates in our party's history."

Context: Walker has been endorsed by former President Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. But the campaign has been ensnarled in controversy with allegations of domestic violence and that he paid for abortions for two women.

Recently, Walker has faced a new round of criticism ahead of the runoff.

  • President Biden said at a Boston fundraiser event that Walker "does not deserve to be in the United States Senate based on his veracity and what he said and what he hadn’t said."
  • And former president Barack Obama laid into Walker's rambling story about a horror movie in which a character without faith couldn't kill a vampire, Axios reports.

The big picture: All eyes are on the upcoming Senate race since a Warnock win would give Democrats 51 seats in the Senate, allowing them to use more power than the current 50-50 split (with Vice President Harris' tie-breaking vote).

What we're watching: Georgia voters wrapped up early voting on Friday, setting the stage for the Dec. 6 runoff.

  • The state has seen a record-breaking turnout for early voting ahead of the runoff.

More from Axios:

Record-breaking early voting in Georgia Senate runoff

Obama doesn't hold back on Herschel Walker attacks in runoff rally

Herschel Walker ups anti-transgender athlete messaging in the runoff

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