Herschel Walker and the record-setting year for Black Republicans

It's been a record-setting year for the Republican Party, which is fielding 81 Black candidates in the 2022 primaries, according to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Already, the outcomes have varied widely. Herschel Walker, whom Republicans have rallied behind, has won Tuesday's primary for US Senate in Georgia, CNN projects. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell called Walker the "real deal" last fall, per Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who had been lobbying McConnell to support Walker, a football legend with the backing of former President Donald Trump. Kathy Barnette lost her US Senate bid in Pennsylvania earlier this month, while Wesley Hunt dominated his primary for a US House seat in Texas in March.

The uptick in Black Republican candidates, who range from committed conservatives to opportunists just eager to be elected to office, prompts questions about the allure of a party that has long been hostile to Black Americans.