“Political Train Wreck:” Walker’s Entrance Latest to Spotlight GA Republicans’ Primary Chaos

Trump-favorite Herschel Walker’s entrance into Georgia’s chaotic GOP Senate primary is the nightmare senior national Republicans were hoping to avoid. Coverage of his announcement highlighted how he’s facing “a thorny reception from the GOP establishment,” attacks from his primary rivals who are already labeling him a “carpetbagger,” and how Georgia Republicans are worried his announcement sets the stage for a “political train wreck.” 

Read more about the turmoil brewing in the chaotic Georgia GOP Senate primary:

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Herschel Walker is running for US Senate in Georgia 

• Some senior Republicans worry that Walker will inevitably stumble against Warnock, who has emerged as a fundraising powerhouse and national figure since defeating GOP incumbent Kelly Loeffler to become the first Black U.S. senator in Georgia history.

• Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black is the best-known. The three-term incumbent has picked up key endorsements and painted Walker as a carpetbagger who should have long ago moved to the state to “learn what Georgians have on their minds.”

• [Walker] must also navigate a thorny reception from the GOP establishment. A number of high-profile Republicans in Georgia and Washington have been critical of Walker, and some have urged him not to run.

• ​​Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has privately encouraged Loeffler and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue to consider comeback attempts. 

CNN: Herschel Walker files to run for Senate in Georgia

• GOP strategists and lawmakers from Georgia to Washington, DC, are deeply worried about Walker’s campaign, fearing that Walker could cost the GOP.

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has even suggested to allies that former Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler should take another look at running again, after their narrow losses in January flipped the Senate to Democratic control. McConnell met this summer with Loeffler and Perdue.

• “I do not know a single credible Republican strategist in Georgia or Washington who thinks he can be beaten in the primary,” Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host based out of Atlanta, wrote Wednesday. “I do not know a single credible Republican strategist who thinks he can win the general.”

Fox News: Herschel Walker declares Senate candidacy in Georgia, a top GOP target in 2022 

• Support for Walker is far from uniform across the party, with some Republicans for months expressing reservations over his looming candidacy.

• Though he has Trump’s backing, Republicans close to longtime Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell are privately expressing concerns whether Walker is ready for the rigors of a high-profile Senate campaign. Sources tell Fox News they’re specifically concerned about the troubling reports detailing Walker’s violent history.

• And some other Georgia Republicans are worried about a possible political train wreck as Walker faces incoming fire in the weeks and months ahead.

• A Peach State based Republican strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News last month that “we don’t know what a Herschel Walker candidacy looks like. What type of a candidate is he going to be? How is he going to handle being thrown into the fire? Is he going to be quick on his feet?”

Roll Call: Herschel Walker run for Senate in Georgia comes amid GOP concerns

• Former football player Herschel Walker has filed paperwork to run for the GOP Senate nomination in Georgia, despite some Republican concerns that Walker’s candidacy could endanger the party’s chances of defeating Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock next year. 

• “If any Republican in Georgia told you they didn’t have concerns about his candidacy, they’d be lying to you. We all have concerns,” said Chip Lake, a GOP strategist in the state.

POLITICO: Herschel Walker files for Georgia Senate race 

• Republicans close to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have privately expressed concerns about whether Walker is ready for the intense pressure of a campaign that could decide control of the chamber.

NPR: Trump Ally Herschel Walker Is Running For U.S. Senate In Georgia

• Some national Republicans have been wary of Walker’s candidacy, though. The first-time candidate comes with potential baggage that could harm his chances in both the primary and general elections, including his Texas residency.

Associated Press: Herschel Walker begins Georgia GOP Senate bid amid unknowns 

• [Gary] Black has tweaked Walker for his long absence from Georgia, and did so again Tuesday in a video “welcoming” Walker to the race and challenging him to come to a Republican fish fry Saturday south of Macon. 

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