Former professional and college football star Herschel Walker beat six other contestants in the Georgia GOP Senate primary on Tuesday with an overwhelming 70-percent majority of the votes. The AP declared the race one hour after the polls were closed. In the general election in November, Walker will face incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, an Atlanta pastor who swept aside the previous senator, Kelly Loeffler, in a runoff in January. Warnock was able to win his Democratic primary on Tuesday.
Walker was the most popular candidate in Tuesday's primary. He was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, something not everybody can boast about. McConnell was reported to be hesitant initially to sign a petition in favor of Walker; however, he was eventually persuaded by Trump to endorse Walker.
Mr. Walker’s victory was also considered a win for Trump, who, according to reports, had supported him in his bid to run. “Herschel Walker is a friend, a Patriot, and an outstanding American who is going to be a GREAT United States Senator,” the 45th president stated in his endorsement a week after Walker announced his candidacy this past summer. “He embodies ‘America First' and the winning spirit of Georgia.”
Walker's football-running talents are legendary. He played for his team, the Georgia Bulldogs, in a national championship in his freshman year in 1980. He also won the Heisman Trophy as the nation's top college footballer in 1982. He was renowned for his long legs, fast moves, and the ability to leap over others. He played for the USFL (United States Football League) and, later, with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL (National Football League). He finished his playing career after accumulating 8,225 yards.
Walker, 60, defeated the state agriculture commissioner, Gary Black; former state legislator, Josh Clark; businessman Kelvin King; retired General Jonathan McColumn; and ex-Navy SEAL Lieutenant Latham Saddler.
Walker's path to the ultimate reward of the Senate seat is bound to become more difficult. A number of scandals surround him, including a report that his ex-wife negotiated a protection order against him in 2005, citing threats and use of force. He has also been accused of inflating his academic records in a variety of ways, such as claiming that he was a graduate of the University of Georgia, when this was not the case.
We can speculate that, for now, he'll revel. One thing of which we can be sure is that the general election battle will be a slugfest. It is likely that things will get heated quickly.
