WASHINGTON ― Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) expressed support for the theory of evolution days after Herschel Walker, his likely GOP Senate challenger, cast doubt on it.
“I’ll tell you I believe in science and my faith has no quarrel with science,” Warnock, who is a pastor, told HuffPost on Wednesday when asked about evolution and Walker’s views.
Speaking at a church in Georgia over the weekend, Walker argued the fact that apes and humans coexist disproves accepted science.
“At one time, science said man came from apes, did it not? ... If that is true, why are there still apes? Think about it,” Herschel said in front of the evangelical congregation.
“Now you’re getting too smart for us, Herschel,” the pastor responded.
Walker, a former NFL star, is the front-runner in the GOP primary to challenge Warnock in November. He has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, as well as a number of Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Retaking the Senate majority is a huge priority for the GOP, and winning back a seat in Georgia is critical to doing so after the Democratic upset in two runoff elections there in the 2020 election cycle.
Warnock faces a challenging political environment in what was once safe Republican territory, at least before Trump’s lies about stolen elections helped dampen GOP turnout in Georgia in 2020. With President Joe Biden’s sinking approval numbers, high inflation, and high gas prices causing Democrats headaches, Warnock’s chances of reelection are threatened, and he is pushing for federal action on cutting health care costs, including calling on Congress to cap the price of insulin.
“I am very focused right now on what I can do for the people of Georgia. I’m hoping that we can get my bill on insulin passed and that we can lower these rising costs,” Warnok told HuffPost on Wednesday.
Walker remains the likely winner of the GOP Senate primary despite facing domestic violence allegations, which Republicans have largely brushed aside. Walker told Axios in December that he has struggled with mental health issues and is “accountable” for his past actions.