Warnock Campaign Slams Attack Ads From Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler As Senate Runoff Campaign Heats Up
Now that the Georgia U.S. Senate race is headed for a runoff, the attack ads have begun to emerge. Campaign officials for Rev. Raphael Warnock, one of two Democrats competing for the seats, says that his opponent, incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler, has unfairly attacked him.
“These ads are misleading and say a lot about Kelly Loeffler. One would think the Senator would have something good to say about herself but instead she’s resorting to the lowest of the low attacks to try and salvage her campaign,” said Terrence Clark, Warnock campaign spokesperson in a statement.
In one ad, Warnock is attacked for his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a one-time pastor to former President Barack Obama, who ran into controversy during the 2008 campaign when an old sermon of his surfaced in which he said “God d*mn America.”
Wright was also accused of making anti-semitic statements. Warnock has denied being an anti-semite and said he has never defended anti-semitism.
"I'm not an anti-Semite,” Warnock said during an MSNBC appearance on Thursday (Nov. 12). “I've never defended anti-Semitic comments from anyone and Kelly Loeffler knows better."
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In another ad, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton brought up Warnock’s arrest on obstructing a police investigation into suspected child abuse at a Maryland camp, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He and another person were not suspects, but they were arrested because they interrupted an interview with a camp counselor and allegedly tried to block a camper from speaking to police. Warnock later told The Baltimore Sun that he was only pointing out that lawyers needed to be present.
Warnock and Democrat Jon Ossoff are running to unseat Republicans Loeffler and incumbent David Perdue in a runoff scheduled for Jan. 5. The result of the election could determine Democratic or GOP control of the U.S. Senate.
“Just like he has since he got in this race, Reverend Warnock will continue to talk to Georgians about how he will work for them in the Senate, fighting for affordable health care, for fair wages and the dignity of working people. That’s the kind of Senator that Georgia needs,” said Clark.