ATLANTA —Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker raised more than $5.4 million in the final three months of last year, a sum his campaign predicted would be among the largest in the nation for a challenger.
The former football icon has raised about $10 million overall since launching his bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock in August, his campaign said Wednesday. He is expected to report roughly $5 million in cash on hand at the Jan. 31 deadline.
Walker is the GOP frontrunner thanks in part to his sky-high name recognition and support from former President Donald Trump, who said the Republican would be an "unstoppable" political force in a contest that could decide control of the Senate.
Walker's top Republican rivals have yet to report their fundraising haul for the three-month period, which spans from October to December. They include Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, military veteran Kelvin King and former Navy SEAL Latham Saddler.
Warnock also has yet to disclose his figures, though he's set a torrid early fundraising pace. He ended the last fundraising quarter with about $17.2 million in cash on hand, more than any Senate campaign in Georgia history at that stage in the fundraising cycle.
Walker's strategists hope the candidate's fundraising from more than 44,000 donors indicate that GOP voters have picked a favorite in the May primary — and that he could keep pace with Warnock in a November general election campaign.
"This massive fundraising haul, likely the largest in the country for a non-incumbent, shows that Georgia Republicans are clearly united behind Herschel Walker and are ready to take on Senator Warnock," said his campaign manager Scott Paradise.
