SAVANNAH, Ga. — As the sole debate between U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker wound down, the former football star’s aides danced to Usher’s “Yeah” in a crowded watch party in the JW Marriot complex.
They felt they had good reason to celebrate. If the Friday showdown was a make-or-break moment for Walker, as some analysts predicted it would be, the Republican didn’t snap. And to some of his supporters, the hourlong debate forged him into a stronger contender.
Among them was Ralph Reed, the former Christian Coalition head who mused that Walker would top Gov. Brian Kemp’s 2018 total among evangelicals — a gutty prediction given the allegations that Walker paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion 13 years ago despite his opposition to the procedure.
