Despite recent reports that Herschel Walker, the Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia, paid for an ex-abortion, girlfriend’s he enjoys the backing of an overwhelming majority of Catholic people in the state, according to a recent EWTN poll.
Walker, a former football great and political neophyte, is running as a pro-life candidate against the incumbent Democrat, Baptist preacher Sen. Raphael Warnock, who calls himself a “pro-choice pastor.”
If the election were held today, 64.7% of Catholic voters would vote for Walker, while 32.7% would vote for Warnock, according to a poll conducted by EWTN News and RealClearPolitics.
Georgia is one of a handful of states that will determine whether the Republican Party gains the Senate majority, making the Walker-Warnock battle one of the most closely followed in the country.
According to other polls, the contest is widely viewed as a coin flip. The most recent survey conducted by the Trafalgar Group for the Daily Wire places Walker two percentage points ahead of Warnock, while the most recent survey conducted by East Carolina University places Warnock ahead by two percentage points.
The topic of abortion, which was expected to play a key component in the race following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, turned personal in October of this year when news leaked that a former girlfriend of Walker’s claimed he paid for her 2009 abortion.
Initially reported by The Daily Beast, the lady said Walker asked her to terminate the child she conceived during their relationship. The woman stated that Walker paid her $700 via a personal check for the surgery.
In an interview with NBC News on October 17, the former NFL running back refuted these charges, stating that the check was his and that the money could have been used for whatever.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, also produced a receipt for $575 from an abortion facility and a “get well” card signed by Walker.
Walker has run on a robust pro-life platform. In May, he told reporters, “In my mind, there is no exemption. Like I said, I believe in life. I have faith in life.” Walker has also expressed support for the 15-week abortion ban proposed by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.
In 2021, with the resignation of Republican Senator Johnny Isakson, Warnock was elected. He has referred to abortion as a “fundamental constitutional principle,” co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would legalize abortion during all nine months of pregnancy, and has not expressed support for abortion limits.
Pro-life Christians have criticized Warnock for claiming that his pro-abortion attitude is consistent with his faith.
In 2020, a group of twenty-five Black pastors from Georgia sent Warnock an open letter requesting that he abandon his pro-abortion stance.
“As a Christian pastor and a Black leader, it is your responsibility to condemn the atrocity of abortion, which murders a disproportionate number of Black children. The letter continued, “Your open endorsement of abortion is a shame to the faith and the Black community.” “We feel these remarks reflect fundamental errors of judgment and a lack of pastoral accountability, and we implore you to reconsider them.”
John Ensor, a native of Georgia and the president of the pro-life ministry PassionLife, which trains Christian leaders in biblical bioethics, explained why Catholics in Georgia support Walker despite the charges.
Ensor stated, “Catholic Church leaders, and by extension, the larger pro-life movement, have struggled for fifty years to teach biblical moral reasoning regarding the value of life.”
“The end of Roe means that individuals are suddenly aware that their vote, or lack thereof, matters. [The Supreme Court] returned the subject to the citizens. If we do not then attempt to persuade our neighbors and vote our principles, then woe to us.”
Last week, Ensor published an opinion article urging Georgians to vote for Walker.
Ensor commented in the article, “Whatever is in Walker’s history, if his present life is dedicated to peacefully, eloquently, and fearlessly advocating for the unborn child until their full humanity is acknowledged and accepted, he has my vote.”
Scott Klusendorf, head of the Life Training Institute, which educates pro-lifers to argue against abortion, told CNA that he is “optimistic” Walker would win, despite the fact that he participated in an abortion in the past.
“At most, it demonstrates Walker’s inconsistency, not that abortion is acceptable,” said Klusendorf.
Klusenorf stated, “the pro-life movement is replete of women and men with abortion histories.” “However, even if they change their minds, they are still hypocrites. How does this refute the pro-life argument that it is wrong to knowingly murder innocent humans?
“The attack on Walker is, at best, a smokescreen,” he added. How does Walker’s stated willingness to engage in an abortion imply that unborn children are not human or that their murder is acceptable?
Abortion the focus of Walker-Warnock race
The topic of abortion, which was expected to play a key component in the race following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, turned personal in October of this year when news leaked that a former girlfriend of Walker’s claimed he paid for her 2009 abortion.
Initially reported by The Daily Beast, the lady said Walker asked her to terminate the child she conceived during their relationship. The woman stated that Walker paid her $700 via a personal check for the surgery.
In an interview with NBC News on October 17, the former NFL running back refuted these charges, stating that the check was his and that the money could have been used for whatever.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, also produced a receipt for $575 from an abortion facility and a “get well” card signed by Walker.
Walker has run on a robust pro-life platform. In May, he told reporters, “In my mind, there is no exemption. Like I said, I believe in life. I have faith in life.” Walker has also expressed support for the 15-week abortion ban proposed by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.
In 2021, with the resignation of Republican Senator Johnny Isakson, Warnock was elected. He has referred to abortion as a “fundamental constitutional principle,” co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would legalize abortion during all nine months of pregnancy, and has not expressed support for abortion limits.
Pro-life Christians have criticized Warnock for claiming that his pro-abortion attitude is consistent with his faith.
In 2020, a group of twenty-five Black pastors from Georgia sent Warnock an open letter requesting that he abandon his pro-abortion stance.
“As a Christian pastor and a Black leader, it is your responsibility to condemn the atrocity of abortion, which murders a disproportionate number of Black children. The letter continued, “Your open endorsement of abortion is a shame to the faith and the Black community.” “We feel these remarks reflect fundamental errors of judgment and a lack of pastoral accountability, and we implore you to reconsider them.”
John Ensor, a native of Georgia and the president of the pro-life ministry PassionLife, which trains Christian leaders in biblical bioethics, explained why Catholics in Georgia support Walker despite the charges.
Ensor stated, “Catholic Church leaders, and by extension, the larger pro-life movement, have struggled for fifty years to teach biblical moral reasoning regarding the value of life.”
“The end of Roe means that individuals are suddenly aware that their vote, or lack thereof, matters. [The Supreme Court] returned the subject to the citizens. If we do not then attempt to persuade our neighbors and vote our principles, then woe to us.”
Last week, Ensor published an opinion article urging Georgians to vote for Walker.
Ensor commented in the article, “Whatever is in Walker’s history, if his present life is dedicated to peacefully, eloquently, and fearlessly advocating for the unborn child until their full humanity is acknowledged and accepted, he has my vote.”
Scott Klusendorf, head of the Life Training Institute, which educates pro-lifers to argue against abortion, told CNA that he is “optimistic” Walker would win, despite the fact that he participated in an abortion in the past.
“At most, it demonstrates Walker’s inconsistency, not that abortion is acceptable,” said Klusendorf.
Klusenorf stated, “the pro-life movement is replete of women and men with abortion histories.” “However, even if they change their minds, they are still hypocrites. How does this refute the pro-life argument that it is wrong to knowingly murder innocent humans?
“The attack on Walker is, at best, a smokescreen,” he added. How does Walker’s stated willingness to engage in an abortion imply that unborn children are not human or that their murder is acceptable?
On the issue of abortion, a plurality of Catholics polled by EWTN—37.5%—believed the operation should be outlawed, except in circumstances of rape, incest, or to preserve the mother’s life.
16% of respondents stated that abortion should be legal in all circumstances.
According to the poll, abortion rates far lower on a list of the most important issues for voters. Only 6.4% of probable Catholic voters in the state consider abortion the most significant issue in this election. The majority, 67.1%, identifies “economy, jobs, inflation, and rising interest rates” as the nation’s greatest challenge.
The Trafalgar Group conducted the survey from October 14 to 18 — just weeks before the midterm election on November 8 — and collected 576 responses with a margin of error of 4.1% and a confidence level of 95%. As the midterm elections approach, the EWTN poll queried respondents in critical battleground states.
FiveThirtyEight stated in mid-October that Walker’s charges regarding abortion may have had a slight impact on voters, but these shifts were small enough to fall inside the margins of error of the surveys.
Republicans are anticipated to win the Georgia governorship. Brian Kemp, the pro-life Republican candidate for governor, leads pro-abortion Democrat Stacey Abrams by an average of 7 percentage points, according to the majority of polls.
This October the topic of abortion, which was expected to be a major factor in the race following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, became personal when news broke that a former girlfriend of Walker’s alleged that the Senate candidate had paid for her abortion in 2009.
Originally reported by The Daily Beast, the woman alleged that Walker urged her to abort the child she had conceived while they were dating. The woman said Walker had paid her $700 in the form of a personal check to obtain the procedure.
The former NFL running back denied these allegations in an interview with NBC News Oct. 17, saying the check was his but that the money could have been used for anything.
The woman, who remains anonymous, also provided a $575 receipt from an abortion clinic and a “get well” card inscribed with Walker’s signature.
Walker has campaigned on a strong pro-life platform. In May he told reporters, “There’s no exception in my mind. Like I say, I believe in life. I believe in life.” Walker has also voiced support for South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s 15-week abortion ban.
Warnock was elected in 2021 following the resignation of Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson. He has called abortion a “core constitutional principle,” and co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act that would codify abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, and has not voiced support for any restrictions on abortion.
Warnock has come under fire from pro-life Christians for saying his pro-abortion stance is in line with his faith.
In 2020, a group of 25 Black pastors from Georgia sent an open letter to Warnock asking him to renounce his abortion stance.
“As a Christian pastor and as a Black leader, you have a duty to denounce the evil of abortion, which kills a disproportionate number of Black children. Your open advocacy of abortion is a scandal to the faith and to the Black community,” the letter read. “We believe these statements represent grave errors of judgment and a lapse in pastoral responsibility, and we entreat you to reconsider them.”
John Ensor, a Georgian native and president of PassionLife — a pro-life ministry that trains Christian leaders in biblical bioethics — explained why Catholics in Georgia support Walker despite the allegations.
“Leaders within the Catholic Church, and by extension, the broader pro-life movement, have worked for 50 years to teach biblical moral reasoning regarding the value of life,” Ensor said.
“The end of Roe means that people now realize that their vote or lack of it, makes a difference. [The Supreme Court] handed the matter back to the people. Woe to us if we do not then work to persuade our neighbors and vote our values.”
Ensor wrote an opinion piece last week encouraging fellow Georgians to vote for Walker.
“Whatever is in Walker’s past, if his present life is committed to peacefully, winsomely, persuasively, and courageously speaking up for the unborn child until their full humanity is acknowledged and respected, he gets my vote,” Ensor wrote in the piece.
Scott Klusendorf, president of the Life Training Institute — which equips pro-lifers to make the argument against abortion — told CNA that he is “hopeful” Walker will win even if he contributed to a past abortion.
“At best, it proves that Walker is inconsistent, not that abortion is okay,” Klusendorf said.
“The pro-life movement is full of women and men with past histories in abortion,” Klusenorf continued. “But suppose that even if they change their views, they remain hypocrites. How does that refute the pro-life argument that it is wrong to intentionally kill innocent human beings?”
“At best, the attack on Walker is a smokescreen,” he added. “How does Walker’s alleged willingness to participate in an abortion demonstrate that the unborn are not human or that killing them is okay?”
Abortion not the most important topic to Catholic voters
On the question of abortion, a plurality of Catholics surveyed in EWTN’s poll—37.5%—said they believed the procedure should be illegal except in the cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.
As many as 16.0% said that abortion should be legal in all cases.
However, abortion ranks much lower on a list of the most important topics for voters, according to the poll. Only 6.4% of the state’s likely Catholic voters consider abortion to be the most important topic in this election. The majority — 67.1% — identify the most important problem facing the nation as “economy, jobs, inflation, rising interest rates.”
Conducted by the Trafalgar Group Oct. 14–18 — just weeks ahead of the midterm election on Nov. 8 — the poll received 576 responses with a 4.1% margin of error and a 95% confidence level. EWTN’s poll surveyed voters in key battleground states as the midterm elections approach.
Five-Thirty-Eight reported in mid-October that Walker’s abortion allegations may have slightly impacted voters — but these shifts were narrow enough to be within the polls’ margins of error.
Republicans are expected to win Georgia’s gubernatorial race. Most polls show that pro-life Republican candidate for governor, Brian Kemp, currently leads pro-abortion Democrat Stacey Abrams by an average of 7 percentage points.