The mainstream media is reporting that Tuesday's U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia could be determined by the abortion issue.
NBC News reported Thursday that abortion was a major issue in the Nov. 8 general election, in which Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock finished less than a point (.96) ahead of Republican Herschel Walker, based on Newsmax vote tallies.
The 26% of Georgians who ranked abortion as their top issue backed Warnock by a margin of 77% to 21%, NBC News exit polls showed.
The network's exit polls also showed that 60% of voters believe abortion should be legal, while 37% said it should be illegal.
"On Dec. 6th, our rights are on the ballot. Herschel Walker wants a total ban on abortion nationwide," a TV ad by the Democrat group Georgia Honor says. "Raphael Warnock is fighting to protect our right to make our own healthcare decisions."
On June 24, the Supreme Court overruled the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision creating a constitutional right to an abortion, sending the issue back to the states to regulate.
"The overturn of Roe v. Wade guarantees this issue will be in play forever," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, which has pledged more than $1 million in the runoff to help Walker, told NBC News.
"Before, it was theoretical. We had a lot of interesting debates; if you ever voted on a limit, it was never going to go into effect. Now, this is real — every single state and on the federal level, there’ll be a desire to get a consensus and pass it into law."
NBC News reported that Walker is "at the center of a clash" within the Republican Party about how to handle abortion.
Some Republicans, such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would like to focus on other issues, the network said.
However, other GOP members want candidates to highlight the extreme stance of some Democrats when it comes to abortion.
"Those who want to stay away from it are going to get shellacked by the other side," Dannenfelser told NBC News.
Walker has attacked Warnock for supporting legislation that would protect the right to terminate a pregnancy without legal restrictions.
"Y'all heard him talk about how he would think it’s OK to kill a baby all the way up to nine months," Walker said Tuesday at a campaign stop in Greensboro, Georgia. "It is time for him to go."
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