ATLANTA — With the runoff election just five days away, both Senate candidates had campaign events Thursday night.
The Democratic Party is pulling out all the stops to encourage voters to turn out for Sen. Raphael Warnock. Former President Barack Obama was in Atlanta stomping on the campaign trail to help rally voters.
“An extra Senator gives Democrats more breathing room on important bills, it prevents one person from holding up everything,” Former President Barack Obama said, as he broke down what he believes are some of the benefits of voting for Senator Raphael Warnock. He said even though Democrats control the Senate, there is still a lot at stake.
“It will help prevent Republicans from getting a filibuster-proof majority that could allow them to do things like passing a federal abortion ban so that one vote in the Senate can make all the difference,” Obama added, who worked to convince the about 1,500 people, who packed Pullman Yards, to not only vote for Senator Warnock themselves but to take someone to the polls with them.
The former president's speech also included a few jabs at Warnock's opponent Hershel Walker. Obama told a story about how Walker once claimed he let Obama beat him in basketball, but later admitted he had never met the Democrat.
“When again and again you serve up bald-faced lies, that says something about the kind of person you are and the kind of leader you would be if elected to the United States Senate,” Obama said.
Sen. Warnock also took the stage to address the crowd and parts of the message had a similar tone.
“If we’re honest, I believe in my soul that Georgia knows that Georgia is better than Herschel Walker," Warnock said.
And after both speeches young and old in attendance celebrated.
“I think this event was good,” said Meredith Mahathi, one of the youngest event attendees.
“I hope this was enough to empower the people of Georgia to get out there and vote,” said Morehouse student Abubakarr Sidique-King, who also spoke at the event.
As for Warnock's Republican Challenger, Herschel Walker was also out on the campaign trail. He was joined by several other prominent Republicans including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Walker had one overriding message for his supporters with just five days left before Tuesday's election.
"What hurt my feelings is that border is not secured. What hurt my feelings is the morale in the military is down. What hurt my feelings is the morale in law enforcement is down," Walker said. "What hurt my feelings is the crime on the street. What hurt my feelings is overinflation. This is what Senator Warnock is giving you right now, and if you want something better, you got to get out and vote. You got to vote, got to vote, got to vote."
Georgia voters have cast more than 1.4 million ballots.
Warnock voted Sunday after a religiously infused rally that called on the civil rights traditions of the Southern Black church, including Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Warnock occupies the pulpit once held by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Walker, meanwhile, is expected to vote on the runoff’s Election Day, as he did in November for the midterms.
Walker himself did not mention early in-person voting or mail-in ballots at all as he urges his supporters to vote.