Abortion Key In Georgia Runoff

By Dick Morris on December 9, 2022

More than any issue other than inflation, abortion was the key to Raphael Warnock’s victory in the Georgia runoff for Senate according to the ABC exit poll.

The network reports that 26% its exit poll sample said abortion was the single most important issue to them. They voted for Warnock by 77-21.

Only inflation, cited by 37% of the voters as their most important issue scored higher than abortion.

• Most Important Issue Among Georgia Runoff Voters

Voted For:	Warnock	Walker
Inflation (37%)	27%	72%
Abortion (26%)	77%	21%
Crime (13%)	50%	48%
Guns (10%)	58%	40%
Immigration (7%)	15%	83%

The abortion issue was especially significant among college-graduate white women. While Warnock won only 29% of the white vote, he got 44% of college-educated white women.

These data also raise the question of whether Walker’s outspoken evangelicalism might have hurt him badly. While evangelical voters (33% of the electorate) backed Walker by 88-11, non-evangelicals (67% of the vote) voted for Warnock by 69-28.

• Trump Didn’t Matter But Biden Did

Contrary to conventional wisdom, Trump was not a major factor in the election of Warnock.

54% said their opinion of Donald Trump was not a factor in their decision of who to back. And, of those who said Trump was a factor, they broke almost evenly with 24% saying that their vote was motivated by opposition to Trump while 19% said it was motivated by a desire to support him.

• But Biden Was More Of A Factor

36% said they voted the way they did to indicate their opposition to Biden while only 20% said their vote was to lend support to him. Only 41% said their opinion of Biden was not a factor, far less than the 54% who said Trump was not a factor.

• Did Trump Really Carry Georgia In 2020?

Interestingly, ABC says that its exit poll is a representative sample of all Georgia voters, yet respondents said they had voted for Trump over Biden in 2020 by 48-43, even as he was supposedly defeated in the 2020 election in Georgia.

So, either the exit poll is wrong or Trump’s claim to have carried Georgia have some validity.

• GEORGIA RUNOFF EXIT POLLS ABC

DEMOGRAPHICS	WARNOCK (D)	WALKER (R)
White (62%)	29%	70%
Black (28%)	90%	8%
Hispanic (6%)	58%	39%
Asian (2%)	59%	39%
White Women College Grad	44%	54%
White Women Non college	20%	79%
White Evangel (33%)	11%	88%
ISSUES: Statewide	WARNOCK (D)	WALKER (R)
Inflation (37%)	27%	72%
Abortion (26%)	77%	21%
Crime (13%)	50%	48%
Guns (10%)	58%	40%
Immigration (7%)	15%	83%
ABORTION	WARNOCK (D)	WALKER (R)
Legal Always (25%)	86%	11%
Legal Mostly (28%)	64%	35%
Illegal Mostly (10%)	10%	86%
Illegal Always (14%)	14%	84%
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE	WARNOCK (D)	WALKER (R)
TRUMP (48%)	4%	96%
BIDEN (43%)	97%	3%
WHY VOTED?
To Support Trump	19%
To Oppose Trump	24%
Trump Not A Factor	54%

To Support Biden	20%
To Oppose Biden	36%
Biden Not A Factor	41%