In Georgia, Kemp, Walker in very different statewide races

(NewsNation) — Barnstorming across the state of Georgia, Republican Senators made a trip to the Peach State to help push Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker across the finish line.

“Herschel Walker will be a champion for the people of Georgia,” Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said, “You want to vote for a man who believes in America. A man who has overcome great adversity. A man who wants to bring Georgia together.”

Coming down to the wire in Georgia, Walker has vowed to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock this November.

At stake is control of the U.S. Senate — and the race is tight.

According to the latest poll from The Hill and Emerson College, Warnock holds a two-point advantage over Walker — within the margin of error.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is in a fight of his own in Georgia, but his race looks very different.

When asked if he would continue to support Walker’s Senate candidacy following allegations that he paid for an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion, Kemp responded by saying, “I’m supporting the ticket.”

Kemp said he was focused on his own race, and not anyone else’s.

“We’ve been to events with Herschel in the past,” Kemp said. “I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

In the gubernatorial race, Kemp is holding a 5-point lead over Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams, despite her popularity among Democrats nationwide.

Still, polling indicates some Georgians who are planning to break for Kemp aren’t so keen on Walker

“Voters are looking at him and saying he’s got a great record, he’s done everything a Republican governor should be doing, he’s laser-focused on the issues,” said The Hill’s Max Greenwood.

In March, former President Donald Trump called Kemp “a turncoat, a coward and a complete disaster.”

Trump has been an outspoken critic of Kemp’s in the wake of the 2020 election, backing former Republican Sen. David Perdue’s gubernatorial primary challenge, which failed earlier this year.

But Walker was the Trump-backed candidate for Senate — and might have to ride the coattails of the Georgia governor who has fallen from Trump’s favor in order to have a shot at victory.

“Voters are gonna show up for Brian Kemp and I’d wager Brian Kemp is on track to win his race,” Greenwood said. “Now the question is, will voters look at their ballot on Election Day and say this is going to be a Kemp-Walker ticket.”