Top Georgia Republican Reveals He Didn't Vote for Herschel Walker

Georgia's Republican Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan has revealed he didn't vote for GOP U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker in the state's Senate runoff election.

Duncan told CNN on Wednesday that while he waited for an hour to vote, in the end he didn't cast a ballot. Early voting has already begun and the polls close on December 6.

Walker is in a tough race against Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock after no candidate managed to win 50 percent of the vote on November 8. The final result is also expected to be close.

Duncan said he showed up to vote on Wednesday morning, and that: "I was one of those folks who's got in line and spent about an hour waiting and, you know, it was the most disappointing ballot I've ever stared at in my entire life since I started voting.

"I had two candidates that I just couldn't find anything that made sense for me to put my vote behind. And so, I walked out of that ballot box - showing up to vote, but not voting for either one of them," he said.

Comp Photo, Herschel Walker and Geoff Duncan
Georgia Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks during a campaign rally on November 28, 2022, in Cumming, Georgia and Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan. Duncan told CNN on Wednesday that he didn't vote for Walker... Getty/ltgov.georgia.gov/

Newsweek has asked the Walker campaign for comment.

Duncan has previously expressed skepticism about Walker's candidacy. In October, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Walker hadn't yet won him over.

"I'm not voting for Senator Warnock, and like a lot of other Georgians, Herschel Walker has not yet earned my vote," he said at the time.

"He's got four weeks left to change our minds," Duncan added, with about a month before the midterm elections.

Walker has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, but Trump isn't expected to campaign on his behalf in the state. That decision may be due to the defeat of some high-profile Trump-backed candidates in the recent elections, including celebrity surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race.

Duncan has been vocal in criticizing unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump and he declined to seek a second term as Georgia's lieutenant governor this year.

Republican Burt Jones triumphed in this year's race for lieutenant governor, while GOP Governor Brian Kemp was reelected.

Polling in the Senate runoff has been relatively limited but surveys suggest another close race.

Walker led with 48 percent to Warnock's 47 percent in a Phillips Academy poll for Abbot Academy Fund, conducted from November 26 to 27, but a Frederick Polls survey from November 23 to 26 found the race as a dead heat, with both candidates on 50 percent.

Correction 12/01/22, 09:44 a.m. ET: This article was changed to correct the spelling of Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan's name.

Do you have a tip on a politics story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Georgia Senate runoff? Let us know via politics@newsweek.com.

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About the writer


Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more

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