Obama to campaign for Warnock before Georgia Senate runoff

Former President Barack Obama will once again campaign for Sen. Raphael Warnock as the Georgia Democrat faces off against Republican Herschel Walker in a Dec. 6 runoff.

Obama will be returning to the Peach State on Dec. 1, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. The date is significant due to it being the eve of the final day of early in-person voting, which has proven critical to Democrats in recent years.  

Warnock won a runoff special election nearly two years ago. 

Obama previously appeared with Warnock in late October during general election early voting. 

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Former President Barack Obama, reprising his battleground blitz ahead of the midterm elections, will campaign again for Sen. Raphael Warnock as the Georgia Democrat tries to withstand a strong challenge from Republican Herschel Walker before their Dec. 6 runoff.
(John Minchillo/John Bazemore)

The runoff was triggered under Georgia law despite Warnock leading Walker by about 36,000 votes in the general election because Warnock fell short of a majority.

Warnock has spent much of his reelection bid aiming for independent voters and moderate Republicans. Obama is the only significant national Democrat who has campaigned for Warnock in person. 

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks to supporters at a campaign rally on Nov. 16, 2022, in McDonough, Georgia. 

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks to supporters at a campaign rally on Nov. 16, 2022, in McDonough, Georgia. 
(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Republicans have tried to frame the race as a national referendum on the two parties, tying Warnock to President Biden and historically high inflation. 

Democrats have already defended their Senate majority in the midterm election, securing 50 seats, along with Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. However, Georgia remains a key seat because a 51st senator would give Democrats an outright majority, including on Senate committees, while giving the caucus insurance against defections.

U.S. Capitol Building 

U.S. Capitol Building 
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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Obama remains popular among the Democratic base and is still well-regarded among independents. 

Obama previously argued Republicans were offering no real solutions to inflation that is a global phenomenon, not something that Biden and Democrats in Washington created. The former president has also called Republicans a threat to democracy, pointing to many GOP leaders’ continued support for former President Donald Trump and his unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was stolen. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.