The abortion scandal surrounding GOP candidate in the Georgia Senate race Herschel Walker has the potential to upend Republican chances of retaking control of the upper chamber in November.
- FiveThirtyEight's Galen Druke provides analysis on why the Georgia race is the most likely to determine which party controls the Senate, here: https://fivethirtyeight.com/videos/georgia-is-the-...
- The scandal broke this week and early polling suggests that it has caused a moderate increase in the lead of incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
- Walker has denied reports that he financed the abortion of an ex-partner and threatened legal action against the Daily Beast, the outlet who broke the story.
- Democrats have been quick to seize on the apparent hypocrisy of Walker’s position, supporting a “no exceptions” abortion ban.
- With the political environment still charged by the Supreme Court “Dobbs” decision it is likely that the scandal will have greater political repercussions than similar scandals in previous election cycles.
Figure 1: Georgia Senate Race Polling Average Over Time, %