Asian voters have been gaining more power in Georgia over the past couple of election cycles. This reality has not gone unnoticed by Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Herschel Walker, who are locked in a runoff election to determine who will represent the Peach State in the upper chamber next year. The question is: Which one will be able to win them over?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that “[t]he number of voters who identify as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders rose across the country, but the increase was among the most stark in Georgia, where participation rose by more than 80%.”
Almost one-third of these voters reside in Gwinnett County. Asians went from representing 6% of all voters in this area in 2016 to a little over 9% in 2020. Statewide, this demographic increased its turnout by 60,000 votes.
Senate Candidates Vie for Asian Voters
Warnock’s campaign recently contacted the AAPI Victory Fund, a voter-mobilization group, to host a rally intended to help the lawmaker reach more Asians on the weekend before the election. Because this race is polling tight, both candidates need to gather votes from as many groups as possible to win the seat.
Walker, for his part, held a rally with the Indian American community in September. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley joined him to lend her support. Gov. Brian Kemp also hit the campaign trail for Walker, targeting Asian voters. The Republican National Committee (RNC) opened an Asian Pacific American community center in Berkeley Lake in 2021, where it has held several events, including an October celebration for Diwali, a major holiday in India.
“Republicans have been on the ground investing in Georgia’s Asian American community and earning votes all cycle,” said Nainoa Johsens, the RNC’s director of Asian Pacific American media. He noted that the Berkeley Lake center has “reached thousands of Asian voters and built trust between Herschel Walker and the Asian American community.”
Raphael Warnock (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
This demographic tends to support Democrats more than Republicans. According to exit polls from the November general election, Warnock beat Walker among Asian voters 59 to 39 points. Nevertheless, the GOP has been working to reverse the trend; Kemp lost with Asian voters by only eight points.
How Will Asians in Georgia Vote?
If the current trajectory is any indication, it is likely that Warnock will win a higher percentage of Asian voters than Walker. But this does not mean the Republican candidate cannot close the gap enough to eek out a victory. Indeed, many minority voters have become disillusioned with the Democratic Party.
It seems if Walker’s camp wants to increase its support with Asian voters, it needs to put in more work. Early voting has already begun, and about 40% of this demographic tends to vote remotely. Final ballots will be cast on Tuesday, Dec. 6, which means the Republican candidate’s team clearly has a hill to climb this week.