Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker’s campaign has tried throughout the runoff to link U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock to a troubled apartment complex partially owned by Ebenezer Baptist Church.
So why did his top aides on Tuesday abruptly shift to a different line of attack, questioning whether one of Walker’s former high school football coaches was really his former high school football coach?
It happened after Warnock traveled to Walker’s hometown of Wrightsville for a rally that featured Curtis Dixon, a former coach at Walker’s Johnson County High School who leveled a blistering attack on the Republican.
“Ask him what he has done to be a senator,” Dixon said. “I’ll tell you what he’s done. Not a blessed thing.”
Curtis Dixon was @HerschelWalker’s high school football coach in Wrightsville.
— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) November 22, 2022
Curtis Dixon is voting Warnock. pic.twitter.com/eAWllgxDRp
It clearly got under Walker’s skin. His aides coordinated a round of tweets denouncing Dixon as a liar and denying that he was one of Walker’s coaches, bewildering even GOP allies who wondered why they were so quickly knocked off message.
Among the posts is a now-deleted tweet from Walker campaign manager Scott Paradise saying that Dixon is a fraud who is “obsessed with Herschel but doesn’t know him.” Others echoed similar themes.
Except Dixon was a coach on Walker’s high school team, as he’s clearly seen in this Johnson County High School yearbook.
Soon, Walker’s campaign released statements from two other ex-coaches who both support their former player’s Senate bid — and said that while Dixon also coached the team, he was never close to the GOP Senate nominee.
“Mr. Dixon is welcome to support Rev. Warnock, but he should not mislead people about his relationship with Herschel,” said Gary Phillips, the team’s former head coach.
With early voting already underway, that’s a closing message many Republicans hope won’t get a replay.
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CAPITOL HONOR. A procession of hundreds of Georgia leaders, lawmakers and legislative staff escorted the late House Speaker David Ralston into the Georgia state Capitol one last time Tuesday, where he will lie in state until later this morning.
Gov. Brian Kemp and his family led the bipartisan procession from the north entrance of the Capitol into the rotunda.
“He was a loyal friend through times of victory and loss,” Kemp said during a remembrance ceremony inside. “At times, he governed the House with an iron fist, but also a big soft heart. That is why he was so respected and admired.”
Ralston will be escorted later today from the Capitol to his hometown of Blue Ridge. After two days of visitations, a public memorial is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at the Fannin County Performing Arts Center.
With Republicans and Democrats from the General Assembly, Georgia’s statewide leaders and his staff, the late Speaker David Ralston is escorted into the Georgia Capitol one last time. #gapol pic.twitter.com/bLEIC05xkb
— Patricia Murphy (@MurphyAJC) November 22, 2022
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LISTEN UP. The midweek edition of the Politically Georgia podcast is ready, just in time for your final Thanksgiving grocery run.
We look at the role of Herschel Walker’s most important backer, Gov. Brian Kemp, the challenge for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of getting Kemp-Warnock voters back to the voting booth, and a new poll with clues of where the race stands today.
Listen at Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever your favorite podcast platform.
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34-N-KEMP. How important is that Brian Kemp endorsement for Herschel Walker? Important enough for 34N22, the super PAC supporting Walker, to put money behind four separate mailers telling Georgia voters the Kemp-Walker alliance.
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
One glossy flyer will tell voters to “STAND WITH GOVERNOR KEMP.” A second features only images of Kemp, with none of Walker, and says “You stopped Stacey. Now reject Warnock.”
Kemp trounced his competition this year, crushing a GOP primary challenge from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue by more than 50 points, and winning over Stacey Abrams by more than eight percentage points. Walker’s team hopes some of the Kemp glow will power their candidate to one more statewide GOP win.
***
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
A CASE FOR 51. After a stop in Fayetteville on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock made the case for a 51st seat in the U.S. Senate for Democrats.
He first noted that the current 50-50 split puts Democrats in a “very tenuous position” that could shift control with the loss of a single senator. It also means power-sharing in committees and other compromises with the GOP.
“And there were things that we were trying to do this time around — for me, like voting rights. And I would have loved to have had one or two more votes. If we’d had 52 last time around, maybe you’d have voting rights on the books.”
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SATURDAY BATTLE. State elections officials said this week that they won’t fight an appellate court’s ruling that will allow Saturday voting ahead of the Dec. 6 U.S. Senate runoff. But three state and national GOP groups aren’t giving up the fight.
The Georgia GOP, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Republican National Committee asked the state’s highest court Tuesday to ban early voting planned in some counties for this Saturday.
The challenge pressed the court to “resolve this time-sensitive appeal before illegal advance voting this Saturday moots this petition.” And RNC chair Ronna Romney McDaniel slammed the Fulton County judge’s earlier decision.
“This flawed ruling benefits a handful of wealthy Democrat counties at the expense of basic election integrity and cannot be allowed to stand.”
More than a dozen counties plan to allow Saturday voting. Many of them are densely populated, at least three are GOP-friendly counties that Herschel Walker carried: Terrell, Walton and Ware.
The legal battle began after Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said early voting couldn’t be held on Nov. 26 because it’s forbidden by state law if there’s a holiday on the Thursday or Friday preceding it. Thursday is Thanksgiving and Friday is a state holiday once celebrated as Robert E. Lee’s birthday.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, whose campaign challenged the law, praised the Fulton judge’s ruling after a Tuesday stop in Fayetteville.
“I’ll tell you who won on Friday and then won again yesterday: The people of Georgia did. Saturday and Sunday voting is not just a convenience. For a lot of people it’s a necessity.”
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TODAY ON THE TRAIL:
- Herschel Walker has no public events scheduled, but we’ll update you if that changes.
- U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will stop by a “Sisters for Warnock” event in Atlanta before participating in the Hosea Helps annual Thanksgiving meal distribution.
- Planning head, look for Warnock to be joined by actor Daniel Dae Kim, author Min Jin Lee, TV host Jeannie Mai Jenkins and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff for a GOTV event focused on Georgia’s growing Asian community. That’s scheduled for Dec. 3. (A precious edition of the Jolt said this event was scheduled for Dec. 5. The Jolt team regrets the error.)
***
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS. State Rep. James Beverly of Macon was reelected to a second term as minority leader in the state House of Representatives on Tuesday, overcoming a challenge from Rep. Carolyn Hugley.
The AJC’s Mark Niesse also tells us that the rest of the House Democrats’ leadership also were reelected to their leadership roles: Minority Whip Sam Park of Lawrenceville, Minority Caucus Chairman Billy Mitchell of Stone Mountain and Minority Caucus Vice Chairwoman Karen Bennett of Stone Mountain.
Democrats will hold 79 of 180 seats when the General Assembly convenes its annual session in January.
We’d like to tell you more about the debate among members as they picked their leaders. But unlike the Republican leadership elections, which were open to the press and the public last week, Democrats selected their slate behind closed doors.
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GRAHAM SLAM. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham had a double date in Georgia on Tuesday. Before he hit the campaign trail with Herschel Walker in Power Springs, he also testified for more than two hours before the Fulton County special grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 elections.
The testimony came after the South Carolina Republican spent more than four months fighting his summons in court, the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman reports. Graham’s office said he answered all the questions he was asked and, “The Senator feels he was treated with respect, professionalism, and courtesy.”
Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn had also been scheduled to appear before the grand jury, but a Florida appeals court on Friday approved a provisional stay.
***
Credit: Alex Brandon/AP
Credit: Alex Brandon/AP
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- All is quiet ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
***
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
TRAGEDY. Ten years ago today, Congresswoman Lucy McBath, D-Ga., experienced a personal loss that changed the trajectory of her life.
Her son Jordan’s murder at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida, on Black Friday led her down a path to activism and ultimately a seat in the U.S. House.
McBath, who is headed into her third term in Congress, said Jordan is never far from mind.
“When I say that I am a mother on a mission, that’s because I am,” she said. “I look at the work I do as being a mother. So what I’ve always done, I will continue to do.”
***
Credit: Zurab Kurtsikidze via AP
Credit: Zurab Kurtsikidze via AP
GLORI-FAIL. It hasn’t been the best year professionally for former GOP super operative, Nick Ayers. Earlier this year, his former boss, U.S. Sen. David Perdue, lost badly in his GOP primary against Gov. Brian Kemp.
And earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that GloriFi, the “anti-woke” bank that Ayers co-founded, has laid off most of its employees and is set to shut down.
The Journal first reported about many GloriFi’s troubles last month, and noted that one of the deep-pocketed investors in the venture was former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
More from their reporting:
”The startup, called GloriFi, initially aimed to launch with bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages and insurance, while touting what it called pro-America values such as capitalism, family, law enforcement and the freedom to “celebrate your love of God and country.”
“Within months, the investors’ money was nearly gone, and GloriFi was on the verge of bankruptcy.”
***
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
POWER COUPLE. Incoming Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has named Loree Anne Paradise as his new chief of staff, making her one of the most influential operatives under the Gold Dome.
Paradise, an attorney who specializes in campaign finance, was the top aide to U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley when he was attorney general of Missouri. She also was a key deputy to several members of Congress, including former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins.
She’s also one of two high-profile operatives in the family. Her husband, Scott, is the campaign manager for Herschel Walker.
***
Credit: Screen shot
Credit: Screen shot
(A CHANCE OF) HAIL TO THE CHIEF. WSB-TV’s legendary meteorologist Glenn Burns signed off the air last night after 40 years of forecasts, snow promises, and pollen counts in Atlanta.
WSB’s Justin Farmer snapped a photo of the four-tiered, weather-themed cake that colleagues presented to Burns before he headed home — and we wish him sunny days ahead.
We’re surprising Glenn Burns with this @wsbtv Today we celebrate his 40 years in Atlanta as he’s retiring. Lots of surprises all evening for the Chief! Hope to see you. pic.twitter.com/v0bvwiZDN1
— Justin Farmer (@JustinFarmerWSB) November 22, 2022
***
Credit: File image
Credit: File image
PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be giving thanks for Jolt readers, of course, but off on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Come back Monday for your regularly scheduled early morning Jolt.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
