Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Wednesday endorsed former NFL player Herschel Walker's bid to become the Republican nominee in Georgia's U.S. senate race in 2022.

"I am happy to endorse Herschel Walker for U.S. Senate in Georgia," McConnell said in a statement. "Herschel is the only one who can unite the party, defeat Senator Warnock, and help us take back the Senate. I look forward to working with Herschel in Washington to get the job done."

The endorsement helps Walker against lesser-known candidates in the primary. He is a longtime friend of former President Donald Trump and entered the race with his backing.

Walker is seeking to unseat first-term Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who won in a special election in January.

Other Senate Republicans have also endorsed Walker, including John Thune of South Dakota, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Steve Daines of Montana, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

The former running back played college football at the University of Georgia, earned consensus All-American honors three times, and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy. In the NFL, he played for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants.

Walker, 59, has been open about his struggles with dissociative identity disorder, a mental health condition that causes a person to have multiple personalities that control their behavior. Walker's ex-wife accused him of physical abuse and extremely threatening behavior, which included him pointing a gun at her head.

The Georgia primary is scheduled for May 24, 2022. The general election is on Nov. 8, 2022.

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