SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — On Friday, Autonomous Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker took the stage for their only argue, which was hosted by Nexstar Media Group.

The debate comes days before the November election, which is pivotal for both parties as they endeavor to win the majority in the Senate, and break the 50-50 separate. Georgia's outcome has gained importance with Republican nominees in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Arizona potentially underperforming in races the GOP had targeted heading into the 2022 election season.

Photograph by Greg Nash/The Hill/Nexstar

During their opening remarks Fri, Walker presented himself equally the candidate of faith and family unit values and immediately tried to link Sen. Warnock to President Joe Biden, aggrandizement and high taxes.

Warnock sidestepped the strategy and focused on his connection to the customs, highlighting his childhood growing upwardly as one of 12 children in a public housing development a mile away. He wrapped up his statement by telling the audience, "This race is nigh who's set to correspond Georgia and the U.Due south. Senate. I call back that choice is clear."

Ballgame takes center stage

Walker on Fri denied his previous support for an outright national ban on abortion, making the shift in his lone debate against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock.

Walker, a staunch anti-ballgame politician recently defendant past a old girlfriend of encouraging and paying for her 2009 abortion, defendant Warnock of misstating his position by saying Walker had supported a national ban on ballgame, without exceptions.

Asked directly about those allegations during the debate, Walker responded, "Well, as I say, that's a lie."

Walker insisted his position is the same as Georgia'due south state constabulary, the then-called heartbeat bill that bans ballgame at 6 weeks, before many women know they're pregnant.

But Walker had insisted at various points throughout the campaign that he supported a national ballgame ban, without exceptions. "That's a problem" that there is no national ban, he said at a campaign end in July.

Just on the contend stage, Walker tried to shift the question to Warnock. Walker blasted Warnock for being a Baptist pastor who supports ballgame rights.

"On abortion, yous know, I'k a Christian. I believe in life. … I'll exist a senator that protects life," Walker said, afterwards suggesting that Warnock doesn't care about abortions in the Black community. Both men are Black.

"Instead of aborting those babies, why aren't you baptizing those babies?" Walker asked.

Warnock insisted he can back up ballgame rights as a Christian and every bit a pastor. "God gave us a option and I respect the correct of women to make a determination. These are medical decisions, they are securely personal," Warnock said, adding that Walker "wants to arrogate more power to politicians than God has."

Walker doesn't dispute 2020 election

At one point in the debate the moderators turned to ballot security and protection of the vote, asking Sen. Warnock why he said in the past that the new Georgia voting laws implemented after the 2020 ballot created obstacles for underserved communities if Brennan Center for Justice data showed the state'due south African-American vote growing roughly 50% between 2018 and 2022.

The sweeping ballot law, which has been called a Jim Crow-era measure by Democrats, requires a photo ID in social club to vote absentee by postal service and cuts the fourth dimension people have to asking an absentee election and limits where ballot drib boxes tin exist placed and when they can be accessed.

"In that location'due south no question that SB 202 makes voting harder. And that is the intent," Warnock said. "The fact that many of our voters are overcoming this hardship doesn't undermine that reality. They made information technology harder for folks to use the drop boxes. They've shortened the registration times, folks are saying, you know, you should be able to get food or water in line. I think the question is more fundamental than that, why the line and then long in sure communities and not others."

When information technology came to election fraud in Georgia, the moderators asked Walker direct if he believed that President Biden defeated Donald Trump, who Walker calls a friend, in the 2020 elections.

Walker didn't hesitate to concord that Biden did win, something Trump has publicly denied without evidence, and instead used the moment to tie Sen. Warnock to the president'south agenda, asking the crowd why he voted with Biden "96% of the time."

Moderator scolds Walker for flashing bluecoat

In one of the more bizarre moments, ane of the moderators stopped the debate to chastise Herschel Walker for using a prop.

The moment followed a quip past Sen. Warnock apparently referencing claims Walker had made in the past about working in law enforcement.

"I've never pretended to be a police officeholder and I've never threatened a shootout with the police," Warnock said, drawing laughter from the crowd every bit he alluded to a two-decades-old police written report maxim that the former NFL star had discussed a shootout with officers.

(Photo by Chris McShane/Nexstar/NewsNation)

Walker and so appeared to pull a badge with a silver star out of his pocket and display it to the audition, for which he was quickly scolded by the moderator.

"Excuse me Mr. Walker, you are very well aware of the rules aren't y'all, and you accept a prop, that is non allowed sir. I enquire you to put that prop away."

In 2019, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigated Walker's claims that he had worked in law enforcement, including as a "certified police officer," and plant the claims to be fake when government establish no record to back them upwards.

Poll gives Warnock slight lead

While the race remains shut, Sen. Warnock was leading Walker by 2 points according to a WSAV/Emerson Higher Polling/The Hill survey released Tuesday.

The poll had Warnock at 48% and Walker at 46, with 4% all the same undecided. Those numbers represent a 4-betoken swing for the Autonomous incumbent who was trailing Walker past two points in August. Warnock's support is driven by women, the poll found, with 51% of female person voters backing the senator compared to 42% behind Walker.

Fri's debate came one week subsequently a New York Times written report detailed the claims of a adult female who says Walker paid for her ballgame in 2009 and asked her to get a 2nd one in 2011, which she declined.

In a brief interview with NBC News, Walker said he didn't know about an ballgame.

"The showtime I knew most any of this was when some reporter asked me almost an abortion. And I'chiliad similar, 'No, that's a lie.' And and then I was asked if I paid for an abortion, and I said: 'No. I did not pay for an ballgame,'" Walker told the network. "I'm not saying she did or didn't accept ane (an abortion). I'1000 saying I don't know anything about that. I don't know."

Other reports, including from The Associated Printing, have detailed how Walker has exaggerated his academic achievements, business success and philanthropic activities, too as accusations that he threatened the life of his ex-wife that go beyond details Walker himself acknowledged in a 2008 memoir and subsequent media interviews. Walker likewise acknowledged three of his children publicly for the first fourth dimension only after earlier Daily Beast reporting. Before his Senate bid, he'd spoken publicly only of Christian Walker, his adult son by his first married woman.

Walker, as is typical of challengers battling incumbents, has proved much more eager to go afterward Warnock directly even before the debate. Citing Warnock's Senate financial disclosures, Walker blasts Warnock as using the Senate to get rich. Warnock reported income from a book deal after his Senate ballot. He also reported a monthly housing assart from Ebenezer Baptist Church building in backlog of $7,000 — an system that allows Warnock to continue receiving a considerable annual sum from the church for his role as senior pastor without violating federal ideals rules capping senators' outside income.

National Republicans, meanwhile, have recently aired ads highlighting Warnock's personal life. One ad references a March 2020 incident in which Warnock'due south so-married woman, Oulèye Ndoye, told police force he ran over her pes with his vehicle. Police records state that officers constitute no evidence that Warnock did so. The couple divorced before Warnock's election to the Senate; they share 2 young children.

According to Georgia's ballot rules, either Warnock or Walker will demand to secure more than 50% of the vote to win the contest. Should neither manage to improve on their recent poll numbers, they would face up off in a runoff election in December.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

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