Georgia GOP Senate Primary Heating Up as Black Compiles More In-state Support and Republicans Target Walker

Georgia’s GOP Senate primary continues to escalate with Gary Black amassing more in-state support and Georgia Republicans sounding off on the Trump-tapped candidate’s turbulent past and refusal to share where he stands on the issues that matter to Georgia. 

Here’s the latest on Republicans’ headaches in #GASEN:

• Republicans are divided as Gary Black amasses another 101 local endorsements and continues to compile Georgia GOP support. As the AJC reports, Black is proving he is “still a formidable contender in the race for U.S. Senate,” announcing endorsements from 101 local elected officials and county commissioners — in addition to nearly half the state’s sheriffs, dozens of state lawmakers, 2020 Senate candidate Doug Collins, and former Governor Nathan Deal. The National Journal notes that Black has an “undeniable…network of support from local Georgia officials” and that his candidacy is the “ultimate test of the ‘all politics is local’ maxim.”

• “Gary Black isn’t going out without a fight.” The National Journal also notes that Black is “relentlessly calling out Walker by name over his past troubles and called him out” for skipping a GOP debate forum over the weekend. The three-term Agriculture Commissioner is looking to “force frontrunner Herschel Walker into a 2022 runoff for the GOP nomination” and has “taken the most aggressive stance” toward Walker, claiming that the Trump-tapped candidate’s “past violence against women should disqualify him from seeking office.”

• “What we’re seeing with the Herschel Walker campaign: no policy, no issues, a lot of consultants who…lose races and make more money.” Yesterday, 2020 Senate candidate Doug Collins joined conservative radio host John Fredericks in bashing Walker’s campaign for having “no policy, no issues, a lot of consultants,” comparing Walker’s “closed-door” candidacy to that of failed former Senator David Perdue. The pair also praised Black as the “biggest sleeper in America,” noting his “huge base” in rural areas, and remarked that Walker’s team is leaning into Trump’s endorsement — “playing every angle” other than getting out on the campaign trail and talking with Georgians.

• Walker’s background “has potential to cost Georgia Republicans everything.” Gary Black’s campaign is starting to “hit back harder” against their Trump-back rival, going after Walker over allegations of “domestic abuse, including that he threatened his ex-wife’s life.” A Black spokesman told The Hill that Walker’s background “has potential to cost Georgia Republicans everything and America ceding the U.S. Senate to the Democrats again.” 

• Walker avoids “meaningful campaign interactions” and “most questions about substantive policies.” Today, GPB News notes that Walker “has largely avoided meaningful campaign interactions — mostly doing interviews on Fox News or pre-arranged local TV stops and avoiding most questions about substantive policies,” which has become a point of serious frustration for many Georgia Republicans.

“This primary is only getting messier as Republican rivals continue to build support and take aim at Herschel Walker for dodging debates, avoiding issues of substance, and skipping major party events in favor of closed-door fundraisers,” said Dan Gottlieb, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. 

Read more about the messy GOP infighting and festering primary feuds in #GASEN.

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