Herschel Walker Gets Poll Boost After Raphael Warnock Debate

Republican Herschel Walker's chances of beating Democrat Raphael Warnock to the Georgia Senate seat have significantly improved since the pair took part in a live televised debate.

The race in Georgia is one of the closest out of all the midterms elections, with Warnock and Walker essentially neck-and-neck, and it looks like it will need to be decided by a run-off.

Since the pair faced off against each other in the live debate on October 14, it is Walker who appears to be gaining momentum with just over a week until the polls open.

According to Real Clear Politics' national poll average, the Donald Trump-endorsed candidate is now beating Warnock overall by a narrow 1.6 point margin (47.6 to 46 percent).

On the day of the debate, where Walker managed to surpass low expectations with his performance even while pulling out an honorary sheriff's badge, the Republican was trailing Warnock by more than three points (48.3 to 45).

Walker has also beaten Warnock in all the opinion polls that have been conducted post-debate.

The most recent survey, an InsiderAdvantage/FOX 5 poll of 550 people released on October 27, revealed Walker is leading Warnock by 48 percent to 45 percent. The results show a complete turnaround in the race, with a InsiderAdvantage/FOX 5 poll released in early October showing Warnock leading by 47 percent to 44.

Discussing the most recent survey, InsiderAdvantage chairman Matt Towery said that Walker's campaign does not appear to have been damaged by the series of scandals that have threatened to derail his chances of winning the Senate race.

The survey was conducted after a second woman came forward to allege that Walker, who publicly expressed support for a national ban on abortion in all circumstances, paid for her to undergo the procedure in 1993.

"It appears the new allegations had no impact on the race and perhaps are having a reverse effect," Towery told FOX 5.

Towery added that, if Walker's momentum continues, the Republican could still win the race without a run-off, although a second December vote with just two candidates—without Libertarian Chase Oliver—looks the most likely.

Elsewhere, a Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,053 likely Georgia voters, held on October 23 and 24, conducted for The Absolute Truth with Emerald Robinson, also gave Walker a 5-point lead over Warnock (48 to 45 percent), with a Co/Efficient poll of 946 likely voters conducted around the same time giving Walker a 47 to 43.6 percent lead.

However, in yet another sign of just how close this Georgia Senate race is, a separate national poll average collected by FiveThirtyEight shows that Warnock is still marginally ahead, although Walker has gained ground due to the post-debate polling.

Warnock leads Walker by just 1.2 percent (46.7 to 45.5), according to FiveThirtyEight's national average. On the day of the debate on October 14, Warnock led Walker by 48 percent to 44.2.

Newsweek has contacted Walker and Warnock for comment.