Midterm roundup: Herschel Walker faces blitz of negative headlines

It’s been a relentless week of negative headlines for Republican Herschel Walker, the untested former football star Republicans are counting on to dethrone Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. 

While Walker had only previously discussed having one son publicly, he admitted this week — after two stories from the Daily Beast — that he had three others out of wedlock. (Walker has criticized absentee fathers, and the story claims that he’s had limited contact with at least one of his children.)

And just one day before the first Daily Beast story, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote about Walker’s repeated false claims that he was a member of law enforcement — including an FBI agent. (The campaign points to him attending a week at an FBI school, and being named an honorary deputy). 

That’s just a few days worth of headlines for Walker — just recently, he’s publicly questioned evolution and was accused of peddling junk science on Covid. And that doesn’t even touch on the domestic abuse allegations that have long cast a shadow over his campaign. 

It’s the kind of barrage of opposition research that helps explain why many Republicans were initially cool to his candidacy, and there may be more to come. But in the age of overwhelming partisanship, and amid a great environment for Republicans (who will likely attack Warnock over a custody dispute), the $300 million question is how the voters will respond. 

Elsewhere on the campaign trail:

Alabama Senate: Former Senate aide Katie Britt released her closing ad ahead of next week’s GOP runoff against Rep. Mo Brooks, making an appeal to voters who are “looking for new blood to shake things up in Washington.” Britt and outside groups supporting her have vastly outspent Brooks and his allies on the airwaves. 

Colorado Senate: A Democratic group launched another ad meddling in Colorado’s GOP Senate primary, knocking businessman Joe O’Dea. The group’s previous spot described controversial state Rep. Ron Hanks, who marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6, as “too conservative.” 

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Massachusetts Governor: Democratic Attorney General Maura Healy launched her first TV ad buy tracked by AdImpact, reserving $108,000 worth of airtime starting three weeks before the Sept. 6 primary. 

Alaska At-Large: The NBC News Decision Desk projected that former Democratic state Rep. Mary Peltola secured the fourth spot in Alaska’s Top 4 special primary election to replace the late GOP Rep. Don Young. The other three candidates advancing to the Aug. 16 special election include former GOP Gov. Sarah Palin, Republican Nick Begich, and surgeon and 2020 Senate candidate Al Gross, who is running as a nonpartisan. 

Florida-10: Former Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown, who lost her 2016 primary while under indictment for multiple fraud charges, is running again in the open 10th District. Her initial felony convictions were later overturned, and last month she pleaded guilty to one count of tax fraud. Former Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson is running for the same seat, dropping his Senate bid to run for the House instead. 

Illinois-15: Donald Trump announced a June 25 rally in Illinois, a few days before the state’s primary. Trump’s Save America PAC didn’t announce any speakers yet, but Trump is backing GOP Rep. Mary Miller there against fellow GOP Rep. Rodney Davis. NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard noted that Davis voted to certify 2020 election and supported an independent Jan. 6 commission.

Wyoming At -Large: GOP Rep. Liz Cheney has a new TV ad touting her work to help wildland firefighters.