Herschel Walker stumps in Valdosta as runoff closes

Dec. 5—VALDOSTA — As the Dec. 6 runoff nears, Herschel Walker returned to Valdosta this past weekend to drum up support for Election Day.

The Nov. 8 general election race for senator resulted in neither candidate getting the 50% plus 1 vote needed to take office, forcing Raphael Warnock, the incumbent Democrat, and Walker, the Republican challenger, to face off for the Dec. 6 runoff.

Early voting wrapped on Dec. 2, and voters will have one last opportunity to choose their Ga. Senator on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Walker was joined by Republican supporters, voters and fans in a field across from Academy Sports in Valdosta, where he talked about military support, national security and what he called "strong, conservative family values".

Rick Scott, U.S. senator from Florida, accompanied Walker.

"The grace of God had a place for me to go. The grace of God had a mission for me to do. And I thought that mission had something to do with athletics...But my mission is to be senator," he said.

Walker promised that he would take steps to protect the military in wake of the Diverse U.S. Pacific Air Forces' order to its senior leadership and commanders to stop using gendered pronouns in written material to improve the force's "lethality" and foster a "more culturally sensitive environment."

"They're trying to bring pronouns into our military. What the heck is a pronoun? Y'all know what a pronoun is? I don't even know what a pronoun is. What I can tell you right now is I'm sick and tired of these pronouns. We got to give the military the resources to go out and do their jobs, not talk about pronouns. So what we're going to do is give a pronoun for this Senator (Warnock); his pronoun is going to be ex/Senator," he said.

He also said that he's concerned with national security due to the U.S. borders being wide open to smuggle fentanyl in the country, killing "young people from the age of 18 all the way up to 40-something."

"We gotta stop this. We can stop it, people. I promise you right now, there's other countries that got walls around them. But those walls will keep people in. Nobody wants to stay there. We can get our walls up to keep people out. Have you seen anyone try to break into China? Have you seen anybody try to break into Russia? Iran? Because nobody wants to be there. They want to be in the United States of America."

Walker also took time to dismiss claims that Texas is his primary home, stating that he's "Georgia born, Georgia bred, and when it's my time to go, I'll be Georgia dead."

To close out his speech, Walker said he's running because he's sick of criticisms about America and its citizens; he said wants people to stop looking at skin color and start focusing on their status as Americans.

On Dec. 6, registered voters may vote in an assigned precinct from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. To find an assigned precinct, go to: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov.

For more information, contact the Lowndes County Board of Elections, (229) 671-2850; or e-mail elections@lowndescounty.com.