Oct. 17, 2022: Raphael Warnock’s two worlds

We definitely have Georgia on our minds here at Playbook. The Senate race in the Peach State — pitting Sen. Raphael Warnock against football legend Herschel Walker — is likely the most consequential Senate race on the map this year. Early voting begins today.

There’s nothing better as a reporter than getting out of the swamp to see what voters are thinking and saying for yourself — so Playbook's Eugene Daniels headed to Atlanta for a check-in. In a special dispatch after his trip, Eugene chats with Playbook Deputy Editor Zack Stanton about what he found.

There's a sense that the scandal-ridden Walker is sucking up all the political oxygen in the state. Even Warnock campaign aides admit surprise when reporters call to talk about the sitting senator and not about Walker’s travails.

In a story out this morning, Eugene explores how Warnock is a man in two worlds. At Ebenezer, no one calls him “senator.” It’s “reverend,” and members of his flock will correct you immediately. But while he enjoys a deep connection with his congregation, some Black political strategists worry that Warnock has not yet secured the broad support he’ll need from Black voters to earn a full term.

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