Jimmie Johnson Reporter

Abortion stances central to Georgia Senate battle between Warnock, Walker

Aug 22, 2022

Jimmie Johnson Reporter

By Jimmie Johnson (Reporter), Emma Stoltzfus (Editor)

After a historic win in 2020, flipping a Georgia Senate seat blue during a special election, incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) is fighting to retain his seat in Washington. Warnock made a name for himself by leveraging his influence as pastor at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, formerly led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“So in just a year in the Senate, did I think I would fix Washington? Of course not,” the incumbent rhetorically asked in a campaign ad.

Reverend Warnock often uses his pulpit on Sundays to address political issues like voting rights.

“You have power in your hands,” Warnock said in a Jun. 2, 2022 sermon. “How do I know you have power? Because they passed one of the most severe voter suppression bills in the whole country. Somebody must’ve seen your power and got so afraid that they said, ‘We got to block them and stop them from coming into the house.’”

Warnock has also been highly vocal about access to abortion care.

“I have a profound reverence for life,” Warnock said. “I also have a deep and abiding respect for choice and I think that a patient’s room is too narrow and cramped of space for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government.”

Conservatives mocked this pro-choice stance.

Sports journalist Jason Whitlock tweeted:

Any room for God inside that patient's room, pastor? https://t.co/Ag8w7ehI1T

— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) May 3, 2022

In 2020, Warnock rode a blue wave into Congress, but now he has to defend these stances on his own and fend off attacks from his Republican challenger Herschel Walker. The former Georgia standout and Heisman-winning running back and businessman busted through the primaries.

“If the race between my opponent were out here, [running track] I could understand why you might choose him,” Warnock said during a TV ad. “If it were here, [football field] of course, but this campaign is about who’s ready to represent Georgia.”

Heading into the general election, Georgians are waiting to see if the two candidates will debate one another.

When Walker was asked by a local political journalist if he had any intention of dodging a debate, he said, “Oh no. I don’t dodge anything.”

As of this report, the two candidates have not agreed on a date to take the debate stage. Georgia’s general election is scheduled for Nov. 8, 2022.

Tags: 2022 Elections, Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock

JIMMIE JOHNSON: HE WENT FROM POVERTY TO PREACHING, PREACHING TO POLITICS, AND HELPED FLIP GEORGIA BLUE IN 20-20. WINNING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO REPRESENT THE STATE IN THE U-S SENATE.

NOW, HE’S FIGHTING TO KEEP HIS SEAT.

SENATOR RAPHAEL WARNOCK: “So in just a year in the Senate, did I think I would fix Washington? Of course not.”

JOHNSON: SENATOR RAPHAEL WARNOCK IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.

WARNOCK GOT HIS START IN POLITICS BY LEVERAGING HIS INFLUENCE AS PASTOR AT THE HISTORIC EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH IN ATLANTA.

THE SAME CONGREGATION WHERE REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SERVED.

TO NO SURPRISE, REVEREND WARNOCK’S SUNDAY SERMONS SOMETIMES ADDRESS POLITICAL ISSUES LIKE VOTING RIGHTS.

WARNOCK: ”You have power in your hands. How do I know you have power? Because they passed one of the most severe voter suppression bills in GA in the whole country. Somebody must of seen your power and got so afraid that they said we got to block them and stop them from coming into the house.”

JOHNSON: ANOTHER BIG CONCERN FOR GEORGIANS IS ABORTION.

WARNOCK: ”I have a profound reverence for life. I also have a deep and abiding respect for choice and I think that a patient’s room is too narrow and cramped of space for a woman, her doctor, and the United States government.” >

JOHNSON: WARNOCK’S PRO-CHOICE STANCE HAS BEEN BLASTED BY CONSERVATIVES.

SPORTS JOURNALIST JASON WHITLOCK TWEETING:

“ANY ROOM FOR GOD INSIDE THE PATIENT’S ROOM, PASTOR?”

IN 20-20, WARNOCK ROAD A BLUE WAVE INTO CONGRESS, BUT NOW THE INCUMBENT HAS TO DEFEND THESE ISSUES ON HIS OWN.

HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT IS A FORMER GEORGIA STANDOUT – HEISMAN-WINNING RUNNING BACK AND BUSINESSMAN HERSCHEL WALKER.

WARNOCK: “If the race between my opponent were out here, I could understand why you might choose him. If it were here, of course, but this campaign is about who’s ready to represent Georgia.”>

JOHNSON: WALKER COASTED THROUGH THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY WITHOUT ANSWERING DIRECTLY TO ANY CANDIDATES.

WALKER: “Did they agree on a debate?

CAMPAIGN AIDE: not yet

REPORTER: Do you have any intention of dodging a debate?

WALKER: “Oh no. I don’t dodge anything.

JOHNSON: AND WHILE THE TWO HAVE NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO A DAY TO TAKE THE DEBATE STAGE – IT’S A SOLID BET ALL EYES WILL BE ON GEORGIA THIS NOVEMBER.

SENATOR RAPHAEL WARNOCK IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.