Walker’s First #GASEN Event: Closed-Door Campaign Fundraiser

Herschel Walker made his first appearance as a candidate in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race this week — not with a crowd of Republican voters at a major GOP event open to the public, but instead with a handful of high-dollar conservative donors at a closed-door fundraiser. 

“Walker’s very first campaign event in Georgia was a private fundraiser with donors — not everyday Georgians,” said Dan Gottlieb, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “That tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the direction of this chaotic primary: the GOP candidates’ priority is looking out for themselves and their special interests, not actual Georgia voters.”

Walker’s decision to make his first campaign event in Georgia a closed-door fundraiser comes amid criticism over skipping last weekend’s annual 8th District GOP Fish Fry — frustrating core Republican activists, voters, and operatives. 

• “I don’t know a lot about him,” said Julie Woods Hill, an Alpharetta activist who spoke with the AJC. “There’s a lot of uncertainty still. Obviously, he’s not here and I just don’t know where he stands on the issues.” 

• Tim Bryant, an Athens-based conservative commentator and WGAU radio host, took aim at Walker’s “handlers” for allowing him to skip his first marquee event as an official candidate: “At some point, you’ve got to put him out there. I mean, we’re closing in on a week now since the announcement and all we have is a video. This dopey YouTube video that’s on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram or whatever. At some point, I don’t know, stick your head out there and then get in the game.”

• And when fellow candidate Gary Black was asked if he was surprised Walker had skipped the marquee event? “Not really…because my understanding is that they’re going to run this thing from the basement.“

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