Former NFL running back Herschel Walker is running for the Georgia Senate, but it’s probably not a good idea.
Walker has a name. He was born and raised in Georgia and was an elite college football player for the Georgia Bulldogs; In 1982 he won the Heisman Trophy. He also has media experience from his time as a professional athlete and likely has wealthy connections. It brings the benefits into the race that one would expect from a professional athlete and shows why more ex-professionals should run for office. However, Walker also brings luggage into the race – a lot of it.
Walker’s baggage is why the Georgia Republican Party would be better off standing behind another candidate to run against Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock next year.
Walker initially lived in Texas before announcing his candidacy for the US Senate in Georgia. This allows the other side to paint him as a carpet excavator, which may cost him support. Some have successfully made their way into the US Senate, such as Hillary Clinton from New York and Mitt Romney from Utah.
Former Senator Scott Brown, a Massachusetts Republican, was unsuccessful in this task. After Brown won a disgruntled special election in Massachusetts in 2010 and lost re-election in 2012, Brown foolishly decided not to run in the 2013 special to fill the vacant seat of John Kerry. Instead, he competed against Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire and lost a winning race in 2014. Georgia is optionally more like New Hampshire than a deep red or blue state like Utah or New York.
It doesn’t help that Walker is the Trump candidate in the race. (He played for Trump’s New Jersey Generals in the United States Football League before playing in the NFL.) That’s good news in a primary because many Republicans love Donald Trump. However, Trump is a deeply unpopular and polarizing figure. That’s why he lost the 2020 presidential election.
Speaking of which, Trump lost Georgia, falsely claiming it was due to election fraud. Walker supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election result. Given that Trump’s election lies resulted in a Capitol Hill riot and a second impeachment on January 6, he may not be someone to associate with candidates in swing states.
Many of Walker’s political views are unclear, so it is uncertain what kind of politicians people are currently supporting. However, its past is public information. These include allegations that he threatened to kill his ex-wife.
If Walker wants to do the country a favor and represent Georgia in Washington, DC, he should move to northeast Georgia and join MP Marjorie Taylor Greene. If not, he should help a better Senate candidate raise funds if he is to beat the Democrats.
Tom Joyce (@TomJoyceSports) is a political reporter for the New Boston Post in Massachusetts. He is also a freelance writer who has appeared in USA Today, Boston Globe, Newsday, ESPN, Detroit Free Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Federalist, and a number of other media outlets.
