Former President Donald Trump strongly encouraged football legend Herschel Walker this week to run for a Georgia Senate seat in 2022.
If Walker chooses to run and makes it to the general election, he would be pitted against recently elected Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.
“Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the legendary Herschel Walker ran for the United States Senate in Georgia?” Trump said in a statement.
“He would be unstoppable, just like when he played for the Georgia Bulldogs, and in the NFL. He is also a GREAT person. Run Herschel, run!” he continued.
President Trump urges @HerschelWalker to run for US Senate in GA.
"Run Herschel, run!"@OANN pic.twitter.com/2peKQXh7gV
— Chanel Rion OAN (@ChanelRion) March 10, 2021
The Georgia Senate runoffs resulted in two Republicans losing their seats — incumbents Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler — in a somewhat surprising sweep for Democrats.
Walker’s claim to fame, meanwhile, is his career in college and professional football, though later in life, he became a vocal supporter of conservative causes and an advocate for the Trump campaign.
Walker has never held political office before, and currently resides in the state of Texas.
However, this early endorsement by the president could help flip Warnock’s seat red.
It’s been posited that unproven claims of widespread voter fraud drove many reliably Republican voters to stay home during the special elections in January, as President Joe Biden won the Peach State during the general.
If Walker and Trump campaign together in Georgia, it could help bring those conservatives back to the voting booth.
Walker was an honorary co-chair of the failed Loeffler campaign and might be hesitant to run if she decides to challenge Warnock to a rematch in 2022.
The former senator told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that running again is “certainly on the table.”
Perdue, who lost to Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, previously said he would consider running, but later changed his mind.
“After much prayer and reflection, Bonnie and I have decided that we will not enter the race for the United States Senate in Georgia in 2022,” Perdue said in an email to supporters, The Hill reported.
“This is a personal decision, not a political one. I am confident that whoever wins the Republican Primary next year will defeat the Democrat candidate in the General election for this seat, and I will do everything I can to make that happen.”
Our Elected Officials time is best served upholding the Constitution and finding solutions to hold Companies & our Government accountable. They want to keep everyone emotional with bandaids rather then solving problems! #Many folksmakemoneyoffofcreatingraceproblems pic.twitter.com/4hyDTfa97a
— Herschel Walker (@HerschelWalker) February 19, 2021
As an outsider, Walker could bring a much-needed surge in grassroots activism and excitement to the Georgia Republican base to counter the Democrats’ ground game in the state.
via westernjournal