Kemp, Walker host neighboring rallies, election night watch parties

Warnock campaigns in southwest Georgia

Herschel Walker

I know it seems hard to believe, but we are now 24 hours away from polls opening in Georgia. Millions of voters have already cast their ballots early or by mail, but those who have yet to vote will have the opportunity to do so from 7:00AM to 7:00PM on Tuesday.

As voters prepare to render the final verdict in several competitive statewide races, candidates are continuing to barnstorm the state to offer their closing pitches to undecided voters.

We learned last week that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will be flying across the state to hold press conferences and rallies with his Republican ticket mates, with stops in Atlanta, Savannah, Macon and Columbus. A lot of people were wondering if they would be accompanied by Senate candidate Herschel Walker.

Kemp and Walker have not campaigned publicly together at all this year, as the relatively popular governor enjoys a comfortable lead in the polls while the more polarizing Walker remains in a deadlocked race.

We found out on Sunday that we will not be seeing the two together the night before the election. In fact, they are set to hold their election eve rallies in the same town, at around the same time.

Kemp is set to hold a get-out-the-vote rally at the Cobb County International Airport in Kennesaw on Monday at around 6:00PM, where he will be joined by supporters and other state and local GOP candidates.

Walker, meanwhile, will conclude his statewide bus tour at an indoor gun range in Kennesaw — roughly a mile from the airport. He will be joined by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Housing & Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, according to a release from his campaign.

Location of Kemp and Walker election night parties

And that’s not all: their election night watch parties will be within walking distance from each other, in the shadows of Truist Park. Kemp is set to spend election night at the Coca-Cola Roxy, while Walker will be at the nearby Omni Hotel.

It’s a display of an awkward dynamic between the two Republicans. Kemp, a one-time Trump ally, alienated the former President for refusing to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. The feud seems to have strengthened his appeal with suburban moderates and Republican-leaning independents who voted for Joe Biden two years ago.

Walker, a retired football star, has known Trump since the latter’s days on reality television. He has said that Trump actively encouraged him to run for Senate. But amid a series of unflattering headlines and questions about his character, polling suggests that he is having issues energizing the Republican base in a state where narrow elections can come down to turnout.

On the Democratic side, the Stacey Abrams campaign has scheduled a virtual press conference for Monday morning.

“During the briefing, Abrams for Georgia Campaign Manager Lauren Groh-Wargo will go over top metrics from Early Vote, Election Day expectations, and paths to victory. There will also be an off-the-record portion to review best practices for responsibly reporting on possible threats and disinformation and how SB 202 will impact the tabulation and certification of results.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock will spend the final day of the campaign in southwest Georgia, with a stop in Macon at 12:30PM and a stop in Columbus at 5:30PM.

Polls open at 7:00AM on Tuesday!