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Former football star Herschel Walker fought to defy low expectations Friday in Savannah, where he and Senate Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock took their gloves off in the state’s first and only debate.
Mr. Warnock and Mr. Walker, two of the state’s most prominent black men, debated inflation, drug prices, voting rights, crime, abortion and student loans amid polls that show the Senate race is neck-and-neck.
Early voting in the state begins Monday.
The two candidates accused each other of slinging lies and acting desperate in order to win the seat.
Mr. Walker outperformed predictions that he would appear uninformed or unprepared. He attacked Mr. Warnock on abortion, crime, spending and his alliance with President Joe Biden, who is unpopular in the state.
“Georgia needs leaders that are going to stand up for them,” Mr. Walker said. “If we give Mr. Warnock six more years, think about what this country will become.”
He frequently zinged Mr. Warnock for evasive answers, including on a question about whether Mr. Warnock would support Mr. Biden seeking a second term, which Mr. Warnock would not answer directly.
Mr. Warnock also dodged a firm answer about whether he would support expanding the Supreme Court, telling moderators he would “do everything he can to protect the rights of the citizens of Georgia.”
Mr. Walker pointed across the stage at Warnock.
“When you get to Washington, you have to become a leader,” Mr. Walker said. “Being a leader, you have to make tough, tough decisions. Do you see that answer there? He really didn’t give you an answer. So my answer is no.”
Mr. Warnock, who won the seat in a 2021 special election, becoming the state’s first black Senator, accused Mr. Walker of lying about his credentials and misstating Mr. Warnock’s own positions on key issues, including a claim that he does not support law enforcement.
“We will see time and time again tonight, as we’ve already seen, that my opponent has a problem with the truth,” Mr.
