Campaign

Walker in new ad accuses Democrats of using ‘race to divide’ US

Herschel Walker, GOP candidate for the US Senate for Georgia, speaks at a primary watch party May 23, 2022, at the Foundry restaurant in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Akili-Casundria Ramsess)

A new ad released on Tuesday by Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s (R) campaign accuses Democrats, including his opponent, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), of using “race to divide us.”

“Democrats use race to divide us,” the ad begins, before showing clips of Democrats like Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Vice President Harris, President Biden and Walker talking about race.

The ad plays a clip, for example, of Biden saying “You ain’t Black,” followed by a clip of Warnock saying “America has a preexisting condition. It’s called racism.”

“Senator Warnock believes America is a bad country full of racist people. I believe we’re a great country full of generous people. Warnock wants to divide us. I want to bring us together,” Walker, who is Black, concludes.

According to Walker’s campaign, the ad will be airing across the state with an ad buy of more than $2 million. 

The Hill has reached out to Warnock’s campaign for comment. 

Walker has been considered a controversial candidate, garnering scrutiny from reports that the Senate hopeful had more children than previously publicly known; abuse allegations from ex-wife Cindy Grossman, which he has previously addressed; and false claims that he worked for the FBI.

The ad comes two months out from the midterms, where voters will see two Black candidates on the ballot for Senate for the first time. Warnock’s seat has been rated as a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and polling shows a tight race. 

An Emerson College Polling survey found that Walker received 46 percent support among very likely general election voters compared to Warnock at 44 percent, though the polling falls within the margin of error.