The loss of Georgia Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver could lead to victory for Republican Herschel Walker.
Georgia Republican Herschel Walker may get a seat in the U.S. Senate with help from the state’s Libertarian Party voters as well as from members of his own party, which has historically shown an advantage when it comes to getting its supporters back to the polls.
His contentious race with Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock will go to a runoff election on December 6 after neither candidate received over 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election.
Of 3.957 million ballots cast across 159 counties, the Georgia secretary of state’s office reported Wednesday that Warnock led with 49.41 percent. He was followed by Walker with 48.52 percent, and Libertarian Chase Oliver with 2.07 percent of the vote. Voter turnout was 56.92 percent.
He said that he was aware he was the reason for the runoff, following a campaign that saw his numbers rise to 5 and 6 percent in various polls before Tuesday’s vote—realistically enough voters to shift a second election in Walker’s or Warnock’s favor.
« If there’s a runoff, I have already stated I’m willing to provide a forum for both candidates to speak to the Libertarian and independent voters, » Oliver said, « but that I won’t be endorsing a candidate because it’s not my place to tell voters which of the lesser evils they want to pick. »
A FiveThirtyEight poll days prior to the general election showed Oliver polling at 1.6 percent. Walker and Warnock were neck and neck, 49.3 percent to 49.2 percent, respectively. Georgia law requires that a candidate receive the majority of the vote.
When asked if he had been nudged or approached by either main-party candidate to drop out in the midst of his campaign, Oliver said he hadn’t.
« If I were [approached] by either of my opponents, they would get an emphatic ‘no’ from me and I would make sure everyone in the media knew that they approached me, » said Oliver, who has knocked on thousands of doors throughout his campaign. « I don’t believe in dropping out of the race to endorse one of the two-party candidates because I believe in having options outside of the two-party system.
« I think it would be a disservice to people who have voted for me, who have donated to my campaign, who have supported me, for me to drop out and endorse a candidate, » he added.
