DALTON, Ga. — Herschel Walker has proved he can outclass and stiff-arm competitors on the gridiron, but what about under the bright lights of a debate stage?
The looming question will go unanswered Tuesday night after Mr. Walker, for a second time, decided to skip the chance to square off with his five lesser-known and lesser-funded Republican rivals. The group includes state Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Navy veteran Latham Saddler and construction firm owner Kelvin King.
Mr. Walker instead urged his supporters to tune into an interview he had with a local conservative media outlet scheduled to air after the debate.
The strategy, which some predict will carry into the general election, has been fruitful in the primary race, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution survey, which found Mr. Walker with a massive 59-point lead over his closest rival, Mr. Black.
“He is just trying to stay out of trouble,” said Jay Williams, a Georgia-based Republican campaign strategist. “At the end of the day, there is no value in him doing a debate or reaching out to the press.”
Plus, he said, Mr. Walker could be riding a red wave in the fall if he wins and faces off against Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock.
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“It is no knock on Herschel, but if you are a potted plant, Republicans would vote for it over Warnock,” he said.
Still, there are concerns that Mr. Walker is in for a “rude awakening” if he winds up on the debate stage with Mr. Warnock, 52, who is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the midterms.
Mr. Warnock rose to prominence as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and won a hard-fought special election race in 2020.
He became the first Black senator from Georgia and the first Black Democrat to represent a Southern state.
Mr. Warnock has been in the middle of legislative debates in Congress, giving him a leg up on Mr. Walker on the policy front. Mr. Walker has stuck with platitudes and talking points as he hones his budding general election message.
Dan McLagan, a spokesman for Mr. Black, predicted disaster in a debate or general election campaign.
“If that guy gets in front of a microphone or camera and it is not Sean Hannity or a sports reporter, Gary has described it as CSI crime scene investigation: murder of language in the first degree and kidnapping of logic,” Mr. McLagan said of Mr. Walker. “If they get into a general election, it is going to be a rude awakening.”
Mr. Black, who has served in his statewide office for more than a decade, has accused Mr. Walker of embracing a “Biden in the basement” strategy, painted him as a carpetbagger given his recent decades-long residence in Texas, and highlighted that his ballot in the 2020 election was the first he had cast since at least 2003.
“If Herschel is the nominee, he is a sure-fire loser,” Mr. McLagan said.
Mr. Walker’s campaign is built off his legendary football career at the University of Georgia, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and on the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who leaned on him to enter the race.
It is not lost on observers that communities in rural Georgia are dotted with the American flag, Trump flags and University of Georgia flags.
Still, Mr. Walker’s critics say his documented history of domestic violence, exaggerated business and education claims, and promotion of dubious health care products gives Democrats a treasure chest of ammunition against him.
“The more Walker comes under the microscope and the more Georgians learn about his record, the more concerning questions they have,” said Dan Gottlieb, a spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia.
The focus on the race is intensifying after a Politico report this week said a Supreme Court draft opinion would overturn Roe v. Wade.
On Tuesday, pro-choice groups said Mr. Walker wants to outlaw abortions without exceptions for rape and incest.
Mr. Trump raised eyebrows this week in a virtual town hall for Sen. David Perdue when he said Mr. Walker’s fate would be heavily influenced by whether Gov. Brian Kemp survives the May 24 primary against Mr. Perdue, who is well behind in polls.
“One of the problems also is if Brian Kemp gets in, I think it’s going to be very, very hard for Herschel Walker to win,” Mr. Trump said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Because I don’t believe Republicans are going to go out and vote for Brian Kemp. And if they’re not voting for Brian Kemp, they’re not going to be able to vote for Herschel Walker.”
The Walker campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Neither Mr. Walker nor Mr. Warnock will be lacking resources or support from outside groups.
Mr. Walker raised more than $14 million for his campaign through March and had a little less than $7 million in cash on hand. Mr. Warnock has raised $67 million and had more than $25 million in the bank.
For grassroots activists, Mr. Walker’s personal baggage and below-the-radar approach are fine.
“I think he will be a great candidate,” said Emily King, a 42-year-old mother of three. “I think he knows Georgia, he knows what he wants, and I really like the fact that he is Trump endorsed because I am a really big Trump person, big Trump fan.”
“I love and support what Trump did,” she said. From “the fact he is supported by Trump, I believe he is going to be an excellent person.”
Mr. Walker’s religious faith resonates with others, including pro-life Republican Joe Webb, who said he has been working to shut down a Planned Parenthood clinic in the state.
“Herschel is a Christian. I think he is a good man in his heart,” said Mr. Webb, 75. “I believe he will do good. … He is a lot better than what we have.”
For Democrats, the Walker candidacy is met with utter disbelief, dismissive “pffts” and knee-jerk “Don’t get me started” responses.
“He is just there as a token, first of all. I am really going to say he is just there as a token [Black Republican],” said Greg Martin, 72, a Black retired Vietnam veteran. “He is a token, and they are going to prop him up and they are going to talk about him behind his back because he is not intelligent at all.”
Mr. Martin said he would be shocked if Mr. Walker faces off against Mr. Warnock before the election.
“He knows he cannot stand on the same stage with anyone — even the Republicans,” Mr. Martin said. “He doesn’t know the issues. He doesn’t know what he is talking about.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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