Both approaches highlight the candidates' most glaring liabilities.
Amid generationally high inflation and with Biden's popularity lagging in Georgia, Warnock wants voters to make a localized choice, not a national referendum on Democrats as a whole. Georgia's first Black U.S. senator, Warnock pitches himself as a pragmatist who cuts deals with Republicans when they're willing and pushes Democratic-backed cost-cutting measures when they're not. Among the top accomplishments Warnock touts: capping the cost of insulin and other drugs for Medicare recipients. Vance Honeycutt Jersey
"I'll work with anybody to get things done for the people of Georgia," Warnock said.
Walker, meanwhile, denies that he's ever paid for an abortion. And glossing over a cascade of other stories -- documented exaggerations of his business record, academic achievements and philanthropic activities; publicly acknowledging three additional children during the campaign only after media reports on their existence -- Walker touts his Christian faith and says his life is a story of "redemption."
Through the scrutiny he calls "foolishness," the Republican nominee has campaigned as a cultural and fiscal conservative. Walker, who is also Black, pledges to "bring people together" while framing Warnock as a divisive figure on matters of race and equality. Walker justifies his attack using snippets of Warnock's sermons in which the pastor-senator discusses institutional racism. Angel Zarate Jersey
Republicans used similar tactics against Warnock ahead of his runoff victory on Jan. 5, 2021. Warnock won that contest by about 95,000 votes out of 4.5 million cast. Mikey Madej Jersey
Runoff dynamics this year would vary widely depending on the Senate makeup. If the Senate majority already has been settled, it could make it easier for Warnock to frame the race as a localized choice between himself and Walker. But if the Georgia outcome determines which party will hold a majority and set the agenda, Walker could have the upper hand in his effort to tie Warnock to Biden and national Democrats.