Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) defeated his Republican opponent, Herschel Walker, by a decisive 3-point margin in their Tuesday run-off election for Georgia’s Senate seat. And, as right-wing talking head Laura Ingraham put it, she and many Republicans are “pissed.” Understandable! Getting blown out in key races during a year that was supposed to be a “red wave” would be pretty frustrating. But nonetheless, there’s a very special—and sizable!—demographic that is happy with Tuesday night’s returns, and that’s Walker’s numerous exes.
Several women who had previous relationships with Walker—and in some cases, recounted being pressured by him to have abortions—spoke to the Daily Beast after Walker’s defeat about their joy and relief, citing his history of lying to and threatening them. Three different women have accused Walker of abuse, including his first wife; an ex who filed a police report against him in 2012; and a woman named Cheryl Parsa. All of this is pretty contrary to the image that Walker ran on—one of “pro-life” family values.
“I am extremely proud of the outcome of this run-off,” Parsa, who was in a five-year relationship with Walker in the 2000s, told the Daily Beast. “The great people of Georgia deserve better representation in the Senate than Herschel Walker, and today they have chosen better.”
Last week, Parsa spoke to the outlet about an incident in which Walker physically attacked her when she walked in on him with another woman. During the course of their five-year relationship, she recalled being manipulated by both Walker and his therapist and personally witnessing how little control the former football star had over his dissociative identity disorder.
“I am humbled by the strength of the women alongside me—those who came forward and those who have stood by in support—and I am proud of the people of Georgia for voting their conscience and making the right decision for women, for Georgia, and for our country,” Parsa said on Tuesday.
Walker’s first wife, Cindy DeAngelis Grossman, in 2008 alleged that Walker had held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. In 2012, another woman told police that Walker had threatened to “blow her head off” and then kill himself.
Following Walker’s Tuesday loss, the woman who claimed in October that he’d paid for her abortion while they were dating—and also revealed that she’s one of the four women with whom Walker shares children—also spoke to the Daily Beast. “Georgia made their choice today. Herschel will not be their voice,” she said. “When we as a country demand more of our leaders, we will be heard!”
And another woman who had a relationship with Walker in the 1990s expressed relief that “finally, this violent liar, cheater, adulterer, abuser and deranged, manipulative idiot has been defeated.” She continued, “As a victim of this disgusting liar, I finally feel relieved, vindicated, and not alone.” The woman added that she was especially proud “that 50+ percent of the voters that came out were women.”
A woman who dated Walker in 2006 told the outlet that “having Herschel Walker lose this very important Senate race tonight not only vindicates that democracy has won but the women that he betrayed, have won.” She continued, “The truth has won and I hope Herschel finds a way to start telling the truth. However, I highly doubt he knows what the truth is anymore.”
Christian Walker, the former NFL player’s son, claimed in October that Walker had threatened to kill him and his mother, Grossman, which forced them to move six times. Christian also celebrated Walker’s loss in a series of tweets on Tuesday. “Don’t beat women, hold guns to peoples heads, fund abortions then pretend your pro-life, stalk cheerleaders, leave your multiple minor children alone to chase more fame, lie, lie, lie, say stupid crap, and make a fool of your family. And then maybe you can win a senate seat,” Christian wrote.
To be clear, we are all very fortunate that Walker won’t be a senator; beyond his troubling history, he would have been a guaranteed vote against everything good. But there’s an entire bloc of people who suffered personally at Walker’s hands for whom his defeat is all the more special.