MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Both Alabama Republicans and Democrats say the Georgia Senate runoff election will have impacts far outside the state’s border.
Alabama Democrats went to Columbus earlier this week to help get out the vote.
“The race that’s going on in Georgia right now is important to the entire country,” Alabama Democratic Party Vice Chair Tabitha Isner said.
Isner says party members and other Democratic groups in the state door-knocked for Raphael Warnock, the incumbent Democratic senator facing Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
She’s optimistic Warnock will keep his seat and thinks Alabama can learn a thing or two from Democrats in the peach state.
“The Alabama Democrats are watching carefully how Georgia has done what they’ve done, how they’ve turned Georgia from red state to a purple state, and we want to spend more time with them and learn from their great example,” Isner said.
If Warnock wins, Senate Democrats will have 51 members to Republicans’ 49. If Walker wins, the chamber will stay split 50-50.
“It’s the difference between the Democrats having a two-vote advantage, to a tie,” ALGOP Political Director Philip Foster said.
Foster says he’s seen a lot of excitement for Walker.
“I am optimistic that there will be a strong turnout. Definitely encountered many people that do support Herschel Walker,” Foster said.
Foster has been campaigning in Newnan, GA for weeks. He says the party started sending volunteers over in October, and Senator-Elect Katie Britt even made a stop.
“Still waiting on the final number, but I believe the volunteers from Alabama have knocked close to 100,000 doors,” Foster said.
Polls in Georgia close at 7 p.m. eastern.
These two candidates are facing off because neither won more than 50% of the vote in November. Warnock led Walker by less than one percent in that race.
