Georgians are split over who to support in the governor’s race, while Democratic nominee Sen. Raphael Warnock leads in the state’s Senate race, according to a new poll. The poll also shows abortion ranks as the most important issue to Democrats and inflation the most urgent for Republicans.
A survey from Quinnipiac University found that Warnock has a six-point lead over GOP nominee Herschel Walker, 52-46. Only 4% of registered voters said they might change their minds and decide to vote for a different candidate before the November midterm election.
The results reveal a four-point decrease in Warnock’s support since a June poll from the university, while the Real Clear Politics polling average for the heated Senate race has Walker and Warnock tied with 46.8% support.
Among likely voters in the Peach State, 44% have an unfavorable opinion of Warnock and 51% of Walker, the GOP candidate who was endorsed by former President Trump.
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“Herschel Walker is down but not out of the race for Senate. However, incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock rides the overwhelming support of African Americans and wins big on favorability, the catchall polling measurement for everything from character to potential job performance,” said Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy.
Overall, inflation ranked as the most important issue to 41% of voters in Georgia, while abortion, gun violence and election laws each ranked as the issues of top concern for 12% of voters.
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Among Republicans, inflation was the No. 1 issue facing Georgia. Abortion was found to be the top priority for Democrats entering the midterms. The results come after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released Tuesday revealed that inflation rose 8.3% in August.
More than eight in ten voters said that when considering a candidate to vote for this November, it is either somewhat or very important that they share their same views on abortion. Warnock is one of the many abortion rights candidates running this election cycle but has not explained if he supports any limitations, including partial-birth abortion.
In the gubernatorial race pitting Democrat Stacey Abrams against incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp, 50% of voters are sticking with Kemp, while 48% responded that they would support new leadership in Abrams this fall. Kemp is up two percentage points from a June poll that found the race tied with both candidates having 48% support. The Real Clear Politics average for the gubernatorial race shows Kemp also leading 49.8% to Kemp’s 44.5%.
The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted from Sept. 8-12, 2022, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.