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This past Tuesday, December 6, Raphael Warnock defeated Herschel Walker and his victory had many implications. He secured a full term in Congress, gifted Joe Biden his first “real” majority in the Upper House, and decreed that Georgia’s representatives in the Senate will be Democrats until 2026. However, the Peach State is reluctant to stop being a red state.
While the incumbent won by a sizable 2.8% margin, larger than he did in 2021, his was the only statewide race won by the Democratic Party. In addition to the Senate race, Georgia voters elected governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, commissioner of Labor, state superintendent of schools, commissioner of Insurance and Fire Safety and commissioner of Agriculture.
Surprise? Each of these elections saw the Republican candidate win by a margin of at least five percentage points. Among them, the best performer was Brad Raffensperger, who secured four more years as Secretary of State after defeating Bee Nguyen by 9%.
He was followed by Richard Woods, Tyker Harper and John King, all with an 8% lead. Brian Kemp and Bruce Thompson followed with 7.5% and 7%, while Burt Jones and Chris Carr had a 5% lead.
In other words, Georgia voters had no problem electing Republican candidates across the ticket, with the sole exception of Herschel Walker. The candidate’s baggage ended up being so heavy that he pulled more than 200,000 fewer votes than Governor Kemp, the top vote-getter in the state.
This mismatch had a particular impact in the Atlanta suburbs, which were critical to Warnock’s win, such as in the Republican counties of Cherokee and Forsyth. In the first of these counties, Walker was 7% behind Kemp.
“Georgia is a red state when we pick the best candidate rather than the rich one or the celebrity,” said Republican strategist Dan McLagan, who worked on the Senate campaign of Walker’s primary challenger, Gary Black.
“Until we learn that lesson, we will be treated to more train wrecks like this one as our nominee gets vetted in the general election like a slow motion Spanish Inquisition,” e added in dialogue with POLITICO.
Final election results in Georgia
Governor: Brian Kemp (R) won by 7.5%.
Lieutenant Governor: Burt Jones (R) won by 5%.
Secretary of State: Brad Raffensperger (R) won by 9.2%.
Attorney General: Chris Carr (R) won by 5.3%.
Labor Commissioner: Bruce Thompson (R) won by 6.8%.
State Superintendent of Schools: Richard Woods (R) won by 8.4%.
Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner: John King (R) won by 8.26%.
Commissioner of Agriculture: Tyler Harper (R) won by 8.1%.
Senate: Raphael Warnock (D) won by 2.8%.
Joaquín Núñez es licenciado en comunicación periodística por la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se especializa en el escenario internacional y en la política nacional norteamericana. Confeso hincha de Racing Club de Avellaneda. Contacto: [email protected] // Joaquín Núñez has a degree in journalistic communication from the Universidad Católica Argentina. He specializes in the international scene and national American politics. Confessed fan of Racing Club of Avellaneda. Contact: [email protected]