Welp, The First Scheduled Debate Between Sen. Warnock and Herschel Walker Is Canceled

Murjani Rawls
·2 min read
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U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) talks to members of the press as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a cloture vote on September 27, 2022, in Washington, DC. The Senate passed a cloture vote of a continuing resolution to fund the government after an oil and gas permitting regulations portion, backed by Sen. Manchin, was removed from the short-term funding bill.
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If you were looking forward to an Oct. 13th debate between Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga) and his Republican opponent Herschel Walker, you’ll have to wait another day. A debate that was scheduled to happen in Macon, Georgia, this month has now been canceled, according to the Telegraph.

Warnock and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver agreed to show up. However, Center for Collaborative Journalism director Debbie Blankenship claims that Walker never responded to the invitation. Blankenship says both Warnock and Walker will attend the scheduled Oct. 14th debate in Savannah.

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From The Telegraph:

“The event was intended to provide Central Georgia voters with access to all the candidates before the November 8th election. However, both Warnock and Walker agreed to a debate in Savannah that will be broadcast statewide on Oct. 14. Our partner Georgia Public Broadcasting will also offer voters the opportunity to see Warnock and Oliver debate before a statewide audience on Oct. 16,” she said. “In light of these other voter access opportunities, Mercer’s Center for Collaborative Journalism and its partners will not move forward with a debate hosting two of the three candidates on the ballot.”

The Georgia Senate seat could be the deciding factor in the Democrats retaining control of the chamber. Since June, Sen. Warnock has been committed to doing three televised debates. It’s Herschel Walker’s camp that has been hesitant to follow.

Before the Oct. 13th debate got canceled, Walker cited this would be a problem because of Sunday Night Football (this is a Thursday night, and the Commanders and Bears matchup isn’t looking too good right now). Despite stating how well he will do, Walker has only committed to one debate on the record, and Warnock has voiced his frustrations.

From The Ledger-Enquirer:

“This conversation shouldn’t be this difficult,” Warnock told the Ledger-Enquirer, the Telegraph’s sister paper. “(Walker) said he would debate me ‘anytime, any place.’ Those weren’t my words. Those were his words. If we can’t count on you to do what you said you would do with respect to a debate, how can we trust your word on anything else you promise?”

As of right now, both men are locked in for Oct. 14th. However, there are still some questions about a second debate scheduled for Oct. 16th at the Atlanta Press Club. Will Walker commit to that? Warnock’s campaign is hoping he does.

“(B)ut lucky for Herschel Walker, he still has a chance to give Georgians multiple opportunities to see the choice they have in this race,” Warnock said. “We’re locked for Savannah; now, will he agree to debate a second time (at the Atlanta Press Club) on October 16th?”