After Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp won reelection on the backs of 200,000 split-ticket voters against Democrat Stacey Abrams, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is trying to hone in on that voting bloc against Republican Herschel Walker.
"Gov. Kemp is one of — if not the most important — pieces of the puzzle for a Walker victory on Dec. 6," 34N22 PAC strategist Stephen Lawson told Axios.
Kemp will make it difficult now, though, because after distancing himself in the Nov. 8 midterm election, he is now campaigning in the Dec. 6 runoff for Walker, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
"You stopped Stacey; now reject Warnock," a Walker campaign ad reads.
Kemp earned 200,000 more votes than Walker did Nov. 8 against Warnock, who won, but failed to reach 50% support to win outright without a runoff.
"I just can't get past Herschel Walker's lack of character," a Warnock voter says in a Democrat campaign ad.
That messaging is running counter to Kemp's personal view now, though.
At a Cobb County campaign rally, Kemp called Walker "my friend" and "a guy that represents our values" in Georgia.
Still, split voters that voted against Walker are leading Warnock's campaign messaging, as one in an ad says Walker "simply just has too much baggage to be an effective leader."
That voter suggested Kemp's Walker support is disingenuous.
"He's a Republican and that's his job" to back Walker, the voter says in the ad. "It's a little disappointing, but I'm not surprised."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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