Georgia Senate race: Are Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock headed for a runoff?

Football icon Herschel Walker is arguably the most fascinating candidate in the 2022 midterm elections, capturing attention in ways even a TV doctor, a self-proclaimed "hillbilly" memoir writer and a Jan. 6 insurrectionist can't.

As Georgians went to the polls Tuesday morning, the question on many minds was whether Walker's celebrity and charm would be enough to overcome his well-publicized shortcomings and garner enough votes to force a runoff in his U.S. Senate race against incumbent Raphael Warnock.

Walker, a Republican, is running on a ticket where most GOP candidates are considered the favorites. Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, both Republicans, have polled strongly ahead of the election and are expected to carry down-ballot candidates.

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Walker has been the outlier. He's beloved in the state the way only a sports hero can be - Walker led the Georgia Bulldogs to a college football national title before going on to a storied NFL career. But his history of violence against women, his bizarre statements on topics ranging from COVID-19 to climate change, and recent allegations that he paid for former romantic partners to have abortions have shaken Independent voters, moderate Republicans and others that might otherwise consider a GOP candidate for Senate.

Still, Walker is expected to benefit from voters dissatisfied with Democrats based on the U.S. inflation rate and those who want the Republicans to regain majority control of the Senate. The Georgia race is seen as one of the few competitive Senate races in the country, and with the 100-member chamber evenly divided between the GOP and the Democrat, some Georgians will vote for party and not the person.

Pundits doubt there are enough Walker voters for him to win the race outright. In Georgia, candidates must win a majority - 50% plus one vote - to avoid a runoff. A Libertarian, Chase Oliver, is polling well above the typical 1% for statewide candidates in Georgia - enough votes to deny either Walker or Warnock the majority threshold.

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Warnock, Walker's opponent, has spend the final days of his campaign focused on turning out Democratic voters to try and avoid the runoff. Warnock campaigned with famed film director Spike Lee on Sunday in Savannah.

Still, a runoff is the most likely scenario in the U.S. Senate race. Warnock might be disappointed if he fails to win outright but he won't be uncomfortable - he won his seat in a runoff against then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler on Jan. 5, 2021, swinging control of the Senate to the Democrats.

A runoff would mean four more weeks of campaigning by the candidates. And who among us doesn't want another month of Walker the candidate?

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia midterm election race for US Senate destined for runoff?