Herschel Walker told supporters ‘I live in Texas’ while campaigning for Senate in Georgia: report

Ahead of next week’s Georgia runoff, Senate candidate Herschel Walker faces renewed allegations that he claimed a special property tax credit in Texas and made statements about life in the Lone Star State while campaigning for Senator Raphael’s impeachment Warnock, D-Ga.

With the runoff slated for next Tuesday, Walker’s residency and Senate eligibility have been questioned by Democrats who say he “lied about living in Georgia.” A CNN report examining Walker’s statements revealed that in January this year, while running for the Georgia Senate, he called Texas his “home.”

“I live in Texas,” Walker told a group of Republicans at the University of Georgia College Jan. 12 about the illegal immigration crisis.

Walker made the comments after describing how he decided to run for the Georgia Senate while observing the country’s divisions from his home in Texas.

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Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks to supporters during a rally November 21, 2022 in Milton, Georgia.
(Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)

“Everyone asks me why I decided to run for a seat in the Senate? Because to be honest, I never in my life thought I would ever do that,” Walker said. “And that’s the honest truth. When I was sitting in my house in Texas, I was sitting in my house in Texas and I saw what was going on in this country. I saw what was going on in this country, how they were trying to divide people.”

These statements appear to contradict the “Georgia born, Georgia bred” image that Walker, a legendary University of Georgia running back, was conveying to voters. To make matters worse, Walker gets a $1,500 tax exemption from his Dallas home, which is said to be set aside for a person’s primary residence.

On Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a complaint had been filed with the district attorney’s office asking for an investigation into whether Walker violated Georgia law by claiming this tax exemption.

The complaint focuses on publicly available tax records, first reported by CNN, showing that Walker applied for a homestead tax exemption for his Dallas-area residency in 2021 and 2022. Texas homeowner regulations state that only a person’s “principal residence” qualifies for this exemption.

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Democratic Georgia Senate nominee U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., speaks during a campaign event November 27, 2022 in Morrow, Georgia.
(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

According to the Texas Comptroller’s website, Texas residents can get the homestead exemption even if they’re moving away for less than two years — as long as they don’t establish permanent residence elsewhere. According to the website, only the main occupants of a homeowner are eligible for the tax break.

The US Constitution requires candidates to reside in the state in which they will be represented. The state of Georgia has approximately 15 rules governing candidate residence, and states that if a candidate applies for a homestead exemption, that home is considered their permanent residence.

Walker, who registered to vote in Atlanta in 2021, has a residence in Georgia registered in his wife’s name but not his own. He previously lived in Texas for about two decades.

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Republican U.S. Senate nominee Herschel Walker (left) speaks during an election night party Tuesday, November 8, 2022, in Atlanta. Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock (right) speaks during an election night party in Atlanta on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Democrats have attempted to float questions about Walker’s residency in the final weeks of the runoff.

“The Georgia Bureau of Investigations and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office must immediately investigate whether Herschel Walker lied about living in Georgia,” Georgia Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikema Williams, D-Ga., said in a statement Monday .

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“Georgians deserve answers and Walker must be held accountable for his pattern of lies and disturbing behavior. This is another reminder that Walker lacks both the competence and character to be our US Senator,” she added.

The Walker campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fox News’ Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.