Who is Herschel Walker? What we know about the Georgia Republican

Former football star and current businessman Herschel Walker launched his campaign for U.S. Senate in Georgia on the Republican ticket in 2021. His opponent is Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock.

This is the first time Walker has entered a political race, so here’s what we know about him.

Who is Herschel Walker?

He grew up in a small town in Wrightsville, Georgia. He played football for the University of Georgia, helping win the 1980 national championship at running back. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1982, per Heisman.com.

After his college career, he played for the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys. He also competed in bobsledding in the 1992 Winter Olympics.

After his athletic career, he started and managed multiple businesses, H. Walker Enterprises and Renaissance Man Food Services.

He currently lives in Atlanta with wife, Julie, and dog, Cheerio, per his campaign website.

What are Herschel Walker’s policies?

Walker describes himself “a conservative for Georgia,” and former President Donald Trump endorsed Walker in September 2021. In a statement, per CNN, Trump said: “Herschel Walker will never let you down,” and offered his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Walker.

Here are his stances on some of the issues.

Abortion

Walker initially took a hardline stance on abortion when he first announced his candidacy, saying he doesn’t believe any abortions should be allowed. But in an October debate with Warnock, he said he believes Georgia’s current state laws are correct — abortion is banned, with only exceptions for rape, incest and risk to the mother’s life in Georgia, Politico reported.

Crime and policing

On his campaign website, he says he wants to “defend, not defund the police.” He has said his opponent, Warnock has taken a mild stance on crime.

“I have more sheriffs that have endorsed me than anyone running in Georgia right now. … They’ve endorsed me because they know I have their back, and they’re gonna have my back,” he said in an October debate, per NBC News.

What’s the controversy around Herschel Walker? Abortion controversy

Two women have accused the Georgia Senate nominee of paying for an abortion, and called him a “hypocrite” for running on a campaign for banning abortion, NPR reported.

The first woman who accused him brought forward a $575 receipt to prove that Walker paid for the abortion in 2009, per the Daily Beast.

Walker denies the claims.

Academic controversy

Walker claimed to have graduated in the top of his class from the University of Georgia, but The New York Times reported that Walker “had not graduated at all” because he left school during his junior year to play professional football.

Another aspect of experience that appears to be fabricated is that Walker says he worked in law enforcement, when in fact, he did not do that either, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.