During a debate against Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock in Georgia, Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker quashed earlier support for a national abortion ban, on Friday, October 14.

He embraced Georgia’s heartbeat bill that involves exceptions for rape, incest and the mother’s life. Earlier, the 60-year-old politician had supported calls for no exceptions in a nationwide abortion ban.

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Meanwhile, Herschel Walker, the Republican candidate in the debate, known widely for his anti-abortion stance, was recently accused by an ex-girlfriend of paying for her abortion in 2009. Warnock went on to accuse Walker of supporting a nationwide ban on abortion without exceptions. Walker also termed Warnock of being a Baptist pastor who backs abortion rights.

“On abortion, you know, I’m a Christian. I believe in life. … I’ll be a senator that protects life,” Walker quipped. He also went on to say that the Democratic Senator cares little regarding abortions in the Black community.

“Instead of aborting those babies, why aren’t you baptizing those babies?” Walker put forward a question to Warnock.

Warnock responded by saying that he is well within his power to support abortion rights both as a pastor and a Christian. He said that he respects the right of women to make the right medical decision and called it “deeply personal”. He also accused Walker of arrogating more power to politicians than God has.

The Georgia Senate elections will be beginning on Monday, October 17 and will be determining the controlling power for the rest of President Joe Biden’s tenure.

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Warnock, along with Jon Ossoff won Senate seats in Georgia in January 2021, only two months after President Biden won in the state with a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. It was the first time in 20 years the Democrats emerged victorious in an otherwise conservative state. However, President Biden’s popularity has been handed a hit among the voters in the state recently and now poses questions over Warnock’s ability to replicate his earlier success in the midterm elections.