Herschel Walker's supporters are suggesting Ron DeSantis would be better on Georgia campaign trail than Donald Trump, report says

• Herschel Walker's allies are suggesting DeSantis would be more useful on the campaign trail than Trump.
• Trump-endorsed candidates underperformed in the midterms, while DeSantis easily won a second term.

Supporters of Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker are suggesting that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis might be better to have on the campaign trail than former President Donald Trump, a CNN report says.

Walker is due to face incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock in a run-off in December after both failed to secure over 50% of the vote.

Many Trump-endorsed candidates lost or underperformed in the midterm elections, while his rival DeSantis easily won a second term in Florida.

In particular, Georgia Republicans worry that Trump would put off suburban women and independents, whose votes will be critical in the state.

"I think that Youngkin or DeSantis is a better fit for soft Republicans or independents in the suburbs that we need to turn out," Ralph Reed, president of the conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition, told CNN.

Reed added that he was not speaking for the Walker campaign and that perhaps Trump could still appeal to rural voters in Georgia.

Although Trump helped recruit and endorsed Walker, some Republicans are concerned that he would be a distraction on the campaign trail, especially as they recall the 2021 run-offs in Georgia that resulted in two wins for the Democrats, CNN said.

During those races, Trump appeared on the campaign trail in Georgia and railed against the state's election system, claiming without evidence that there was voter fraud in the state in the 2020 election.

While the merits of Trump's presence are being debated, Republicans in the state feel that DeSantis' support would be a big boost, per the report.

A person close to Walker's campaign said the Florida governor would be "a huge draw if we could get him" while noting that DeSantis did not campaign for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, CNN reported.

Erick Erickson, a Georgia-based conservative radio host who backed Trump in 2020, told CNN that support from DeSantis would be more useful in Georgia.

"Since Tuesday night, the No. 1 question I've been getting is, 'Is Trump going to screw this up?'" he said. "DeSantis would be helpful. Youngkin would be helpful. Kemp will be helpful. I think those are the biggest draws in Georgia."

A Republican with knowledge of the matter told CNN that DeSantis would decide whether to campaign for Walker depending on what happens in the Senate races in Arizona and Nevada.

The person said that if control of the Senate comes down to Georgia, it "becomes the center of the political universe at that point."

However, Trump allies told CNN that it would be difficult to convince the former president to stay out of the Georgia race if his rival DeSantis gets involved.

In recent days Trump has been lashing out at DeSantis after the governor was praised for his victory while Trump was blamed for the GOP's lackluster results.

Some Republicans also worry that if Trump announces his candidacy for 2024 imminently, as he is widely expected to do, it would be a distraction from the potentially crucial Georgia race, CNN said.