Scandal Upends Georgia Senate Race
A hard-fought election became even more contentious when media reports alleged that Republican senate candidate Herschel Walker had paid for a former girlfriend’s abortion. Walker, who is running on a strict anti-abortion platform, is trying to recapture the senate seat for the GOP.
Both parties have a significant stake in the outcome of the Georgia senate race as control of congress hangs in the balance. Public opinion polls have shown an extremely tight race with small leads by Senator Warnock that might require a runoff to determine the victor.
Why was Herschel Walker nominated even though he has no political experience?
INSTRUCTORS: click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.
Videos:
News Articles:
Woman tells New York Times Herschel Walker asked her to have second abortion
CNN
10/7/22
Will Herschel Walker’s Abortion Controversy Hurt His Chances In Georgia?
Fivethirtyeight
10/4/22
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/herschel-walker-scandal/
Texts show family strife between Herschel Walker’s wife and woman who alleged he paid for her abortion
NBC News
10/7/22
The pastor v the football player: can Raphael Warnock tackle Herschel Walker?
The Guardian
10/6/22
News Articles (Analyses):
Abortion bombshell rocks Georgia Senate race. Neither candidate wants to discuss it.
NBC News
10/7/22
Georgia Republican says Herschel Walker became the GOP’s Senate pick because he was a ‘famous football player’ backed by Trump: ‘We didn’t ask who was the best leader’
Business Insider
10/6/22
https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-republican-slams-herschel-walker-2022-10
Stacey Abrams raises $8 million more than Brian Kemp in Georgia race
Axios
10/7/22
https://www.axios.com/2022/10/07/stacey-abrams-raised-8-million-more-than-brian-kemp-last-quarter
Brad Raffensperger could be the top Georgia Republican in November
Axios
10/7/22
Assessment:
Writing: Explain why some experts believe that the current abortion scandal will have little effect on Herschel Walker’s standing with Republican voters in Georgia. How has Walker tried to deflect the damage from the story?
Debate: Should political candidates who have personal experience with abortion abstain from taking public positions on abortion?
Poll: Should Herschel Walker drop out of the Georgia senate race?
Short Answer: Why do many experts predict that Brad Raffensperger will be the most successful Republican in the November election?
QUIZ:
Which high profile Republican announced that he would not be voting for Herschel Walker?
- Governor Brian Kemp
- Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
- Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan
- Representative Doug Collins
Who released a strongly worded video condemning Herschel Walker?
- former University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley
- Walker’s son Christian
- former President Trump
- former President Carter
How has Governor Brian Kemp remained in such a position of strength in a rapidly changing state and surviving a Trump-backed primary challenge?
- focusing on the growing Georgia economy
- speaking about abortion at every opportunity
- pushing for more open voting laws
- pushing for strict gun laws
The runoff period for federal office in which no candidate achieves a majority was shortened to four weeks by the Georgia legislature in 2021. (T/F)
Senator Warnock is running for reelection in 2022, because he is filling the remainder of former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson’s term. (T/F)
Herschel Walker resided in Texas before he moved back to Georgia to pursue political office. (T/F)
