Abortion is Big Issue in Warnock v. Walker, But Not Because of Roe v. Wade

Two packs of people, each made up of about 30 Georgians, stare each other down from across the street outside of the JW Marriott in the Plant Riverside District of Savannah.

"WARNOCK! WARNOCK!" one group shouts. "WALKER! WALKER!" the other group shouts back.

Police patrol the grounds, reporters swarm the area, and various people in suits and formal dresses file into the Marriott, anxious for the first and only debate between Georgia's two U.S. Senate candidates — incumbent Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, ex-football star Herschel Walker.

Spotlights glisten across the sky, expensive shoes click-clack across the cobblestone, and reporters speak intensely to their cameras — it seems like the place to be. But this race will not be decided on the debate stage, but in areas all around it.

In Forsyth Park, Savannah's central greenspace, Vern Richard sits alone on a park bench, scratching his silver beard as he talks politics. He keeps to himself, and doesn't want to talk about his professional background or his experience as an African American in Georgia.

What he is willing to share, though, is that he is an independent who "votes across the line for the best person for the job." He wants to vote for someone who's honest and lives by their word.

He is not voting for Herschel Walker in this election.

"Evidently, the dishonesty has been going on a long time," Richard told Newsweek, "because even his own son says that he's not being truthful and he's not telling the truth about his past."

"If your own child is getting up and saying something like this," he adds, "that says a lot to me about the man himself."

Richard is referring to social media posts made by Christian Walker, the son of the former star running back at the University of Georgia. On October 3, the Daily Beast reported that Walker had allegedly paid for his ex-girlfriend's abortion. The pro-life candidate immediately dismissed the story on Twitter as a "flat-out lie."

Less than two hours later Christian Walker, who is a conservative activist, took to Twitter, stating, "Every family member of Herschel Walker asked him not to run for office, because we all knew (some of) his past."

"I don't care about someone who has a bad past and takes accountability," the Tweet continues. "But how DARE YOU LIE and act as though you're some 'moral, Christian, upright man.'"

Abortion has been a top rallying cry for Democrats ever since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade on June 24. After the Daily Beast report became the topic of numerous headlines and cable news talk programs, many political observers thought the issue would move further to the forefront of the race.

Early polling reveals the public has a more nuanced response.

FiveThirtyEight, the well-known polling aggregation site, calculated the average of polls released by Emerson College, InsiderAdvantage, the Trafalgar Group, and Quinnipiac University following the controversy over the alleged abortion payment. Warnock emerged leading 48% to 45%.

That was a three-point swing from the average calculated when the four pollsters last surveyed Georgia voters. Then, the average showed a tie race, with each candidate holding an expected 47% of the vote. While this marks a clear shift, Warnock's lead still falls within the margin of error.

In its report, FiveThirtyEight raises questions regarding the extent to which the Daily Beast report influenced the shift toward Warnock. Two polls gathered largely before the news broke, one carried out by the University of Georgia and the other by Survey USA, showed Warnock picking up a gain.

In Quinnipiac's poll, just 14% of respondents placed abortion as their top issue in October, making it the second-most pressing issue behind inflation, which garnered 43%. Similarly, Emerson found that 40% of voters listed the economy as their top issue, 19% named threats to democracy, and abortion access came in third at 12%, although 52% said the overturning of Roe. v. Wade made them more likely to vote. The other two pollsters did not focus on abortion.

Unlike many other state polls in 2020, surveys of Georgia voters in 2020 were surprisingly accurate. While 2020 polling overestimated turnout for President Joe Biden in states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, polling in Georgia was largely in line with the eventual results. However, even if current Georgia polls display similar accuracy, they may not reveal the full picture when it comes to the issue of abortion.

Pete Whitlow, a Democrat and member of Warnock's own Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta since 1992, the church where Martin Luther King Jr. previously served as senior minister, lists the economy as his top issue. Abortion didn't crack the top three of the problems motivating him most ahead of 2022. Instead, his other two were "freedom" and "crime."

That doesn't mean it hasn't shaped his opinion, however.

"I can't believe that Herschel didn't do some of the things that are there," Whitlow told Newsweek. "I look at the commercial with his son, and say, 'gee.' I mean, I have a son myself, and my son is not going to come out — regardless of how wrong I am — my son is going to support me. Whereas in this situation, how wrong you are Herschel, and your son is not supporting you."

While the Walker camp may not be trying to sway the opinions of those like Whitlow, independents like Richard and a number of others said Walker's handling of the abortion issue has created additional concerns for them regarding his trustworthiness and leadership capabilities.

"I'm pro-life, and I don't think a child should be aborted, but there are different issues with women who are raped and things like that," Richard told Newsweek. "And, to me, that's a personal choice between them and their God."

"I vote across the line for the best person for the job that I feel like is going to be truthful," he added.

Bernadette Wright, an African American attorney who practices in the Atlanta area, also identifies as an independent. Like Richard, she considers herself "pro-life," but believes the decision shouldn't be regulated by the government.

She lists the economy, inflation, national debt and health care as her top issues. But abortion has undoubtedly shaped her opinion of Walker.

"Whether or not he and his ex had made the decision to have an abortion or not is between him and God," Wright told Newsweek. "The issue becomes when you come to the forefront and you put out this forward-facing position that you're pro-life, and then you come back and you lie about what happened instead of just saying, 'Yes, but my views have changed on that.'"

In Macon, Georgia, a city of a little over 150,000 between Savannah and Atlanta, Jared Andrews, who works at a local museum, shared his thoughts on the issue with Newsweek. Like Richard and Wright, he identifies as an independent. However, he differs from them in that he ranks abortion at the top of his concerns heading into the election cycle.

Andrews said he doesn't think it's "anybody's business what a woman chooses to do." He also disagrees with the "there's no exception in my mind" stance Walker took on the issue in May. The candidate tried to soften that stance in Friday's debate, saying he supported Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's "heartbeat bill" that leaves carveouts for rape, incest, and life of the mother.

Ultimately though, like Richard and Wright, Andrews sees Walker as "dishonest," a quality he does not want in his state's U.S. Senator.

"It's very hypocritical," Andrews told Newsweek. "If you're going to roll with that party, and especially since you're talking so much about getting rid of abortion and you're the person doing it — that doesn't make any sense to me."

Andrews also said he won't be supporting Walker because he doesn't believe he's "cut out" for the job, saying he feels that Walker is "just like there, put in place."

Richard and Wright offered similar sentiments.

"I guess the best way I can put it is that he's a puppet," Wright told Newsweek. "As an African American woman, I feel like he's the other Black guy."

"We don't just vote for you because you're Black," she explained. "You still have to bring something to the table, and I don't see where he's doing that. That's before you even get to the fact that character matters."

"I don't feel like he's the best man for the job," Richard told Newsweek. "I know a lot of times with football players and stuff like that, they have some head injuries, and it might not be anything personal about him, but I think he may be going through a bit of that, and I don't think he's really up to the job."

Supporters of Walker disagree, and believe he will represent their interests well in the U.S. Senate.

Carol Hayes, a finance professional residing in Savannah, who attended a Walker rally the day following the debate, "maybe" identifies as an independent but "definitely not" as a Democrat.

Abortion is at the "bottom" of her priority list. She's more concerned about inflation and crime. She told Newsweek she believes in the "sanctity of life" but views the matter as a "personal choice." When it comes to this election, she says it is all about herself.

"I don't know what happened between Herschel and his female person, but this election is not about Herschel," she said. "I'm selfish — It's about me, and what Herschel can do for me."

"We've all sinned. None of us are innocent," she explained. "So, whatever he did, that's on him. It doesn't affect what I think about Herschel. Would I vote for him still — definitely, anybody that's not a Democrat."

She doesn't like the emphasis that Democrats have placed on abortion, wondering "why is it so important that they kill babies." She believes they should place a greater emphasis on inflation and crime.

Darryl Lawrence, who works as an auditor, lives outside Savannah and also attended Walker's rally. He supports the former football star because of his "conservative values." He likes Walker's backing of the Kemp heartbeat bill and that he would advocate for decreased federal spending. He's willing to look past Walker's alleged abortion because he knows he's committed to conservative policy.

"I don't know Herschel. All we know is how he's answered that question, and they're going to be two sides to that story," Lawrence told Newsweek. "[Donald Trump has] one of the worst personalities I've seen. But again, going back to what I said earlier, I don't live with Donald Trump. I don't vacation with Donald Trump. But the policies he set do affect my life, so on policy, most of his policies, I do support."

Among the eight Walker supporters interviewed by Newsweek, most criticized Warnock for his affiliation with the Democratic Party and his support for the largest pieces of the Biden administration's agenda, which they feel have contributed to the current economic conditions in America.

However, Warnock's approach to abortion emerged as a grievance as well.

During the Friday debate, Warnock was asked whether he supported "limitations on abortion set by the government."

"A patient's room is too narrow and small and cramped a space for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government." Warnock responded.

He did not specifically respond to the question regarding limitations.

Walker, whose supporters felt he fared better than expected in the debate, responded to this statement by saying, "but did he not mention that there was a baby in that room as well." He went on to question how Warnock, as a Christian leader, could hold such views.

In comments sent to Newsweek, Herschel Walker's campaign stated that, "Raphael Warnock votes 96% of the time with Joe Biden, and said he would support the Inflation Reduction Act without reading it. Herschel Walker will always vote with for the people of Georgia, unlike Raphael Warnock."

The 96% claim by the Walker campaign is supported by data from the 538 aggregate polling site, which found that he had voted 96.4% "in line with Biden's position." On August 7, Senator Warnock voted to approve the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that included two of his proposals regarding Medicare, one to limit the annual out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000, and the other to cap the cost of insulin at $35.

In comments sent to Newsweek, the Warnock campaign stated that, "Reverend Warnock has a proven track record of standing up and fighting for all Georgians in the Senate, and he will continue working with Republicans and Democrats to cut costs, protect jobs and stand up for servicemembers and veterans in our state."

Others have also questioned Warnock's position on abortion.

A letter sent to Warnock by 16 Black pastors in the state of Georgia criticized Warnock for his stance on the issue, noting that "Black women are almost five times more likely than their white counterparts to receive an abortion."

One Walker supporter, Valerie Dunham, an African American woman residing in Savannah, told Newsweek that she sees the Democratic Party's abortion push as a matter of "population control" and "genocide," claims in line with sentiments shared by conservative African American activist Candance Owens.

Outside Warnock's Ebenezer Baptist Church, which sits on the grounds of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park not far from the heart of Atlanta, a sign with Warnock's face read, "beware of cowards and false teachers." Another said, "no such thing as a pro-choice pastor or Christian." A placard featuring the mangled body of an aborted fetus greeted members as they exited the church.

Pete Whitlow, the Democratic churchgoer, said at first the posters "irritated" him, but he's decided to respect the freedom of speech of the person responsible for them. Similarly, he feels Warnock, regardless of his status as a minister, has the right to his own stance on the issue as well.

Though he wishes Warnock spoke more about his successes in Congress during the debate, he remains confident that he will ultimately emerge victorious in November. He believes a majority of the Black community view abortion as a "freedom of choice," and that the his pastor's candidacy will speak for itself.

"At the end of the day, I think people will recognize who would be the better candidate for the Senate of the United States," he told Newsweek. "[Herschel Walker] is a complete opposite of what you see when you look at Senator Warnock."