Warnock campaign releases ads in Vietnamese, Mandarin, Korean to mobilize AAPI voters

Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) campaign is releasing a trio of digital ads in Vietnamese, Mandarin and Korean in an effort to mobilize Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters one week out from Georgia’s Senate runoff race.

The ads — which were first shared with The Hill — feature voters explaining why they are voting for Warnock over Republican Herschel Walker in the three languages. The spots, titled “Proud,” include translations.

“I’m proud to call Georgia home, but I’d be embarrassed to call Herschel Walker my senator,” the voters say in the ads. “So I’m doing my part and voting for Reverend Warnock in the runoff on Dec. 6. I hope you’ll join me.”

The digital ads range from 18 seconds long to 24 seconds long and will run throughout Georgia on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram and as pre-roll video.

The Warnock campaign is zeroing in on AAPI voters after data showed that Asian American voters surged in Georgia between 2016 and 2020. According to AAPIData.com, the demographic grew by 84 percent — or 61,000 votes — in the Peach State within that time frame.

Additionally, exit polls from this month’s midterm elections found that Asian Americans broke for Democrats over Republicans. NBC News reported that 58 percent of Asian Americans voted for Democrats while 40 percent supported Republicans, according to its exit poll.

Meredith Brasher, Warnock’s campaign spokesperson, underscored the significance of Asian American voters in Georgia.

“AAPI Georgians play a critical role in our communities and in our elections. That’s why Reverend Warnock has made it a priority to deliver for Georgia’s AAPI community by lowering health care costs, protecting voting rights, and supporting AAPI-owned small businesses,” Brasher said in a statement to The Hill.

“Our campaign is proud of our unprecedented investments to mobilize the AAPI vote and encourage every voter to make their voices heard on or before December 6th,” she added.

The campaign is launching the ads with one week to go until Georgia’s Senate runoff race. Walker, a former football player, is challenging Warnock, who was elected to the Senate in 2021 through a special election and is now vying for his first full term.

The race is headed to a runoff after neither candidate secured at least 50 percent of the vote earlier this month. While Democrats are already projected to win 50 votes in the Senate — giving them control of the chamber in the next Congress — the Georgia race will determine if that majority is 50-50, with Vice President Harris’s tie-breaking vote, or if Democrats have a one-vote edge in a 51-49 split.

In a poll conducted last week by FrederickPolls, COMPETE Digital and AMMPolitical, the two candidates were tied at 50.

According to data from the Georgia secretary of state’s office, more than 503,000 voters have cast ballots thus far in the runoff race, marking a 7.2 percent turnout. Of that group, 9,970 are Asian or Pacific Islander.