This year, Georgia is yet again a battleground state that will largely determine the outcome of the Senate majority.

Right now, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is running for reelection and hoping to fend off a challenge from GOP candidate Herschel Walker. Various polls have shown the two contenders as close to one another.

However, some recent comments that Walker made about debating Warnock next month could very well hurt him. The Georgia Republican openly declared himself to be "not that smart."

He then proceeded to claim that Warnock was going to show up to their October debate in a fancy suit and end up mortifying him. Nevertheless, Walker confirmed that he's still getting ready for the upcoming debate.

Now, a new poll shows that Warnock's actually leading his Republican opponent.

New polling of the Georgia Senate race

In data shared by Marist, Walker has the support of 42% of Georgia voters; yet 47% of Georgians currently favor Warnock.

In the November election, if neither candidate manages to surpass the 50% threshold, then Walker and Warnock will wind up in a run-off race.

These new findings from Marist follow an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll that shows Walker leading his Democratic opponent by just two points.

As this election plays out, polls have shifted back and forth, with some having Warnock in the lead and others showing Walker coming out on top. With neither candidate being shown as getting beyond 50% support, this increases the likelihood of a runoff.

A vital Senate seat

Right now, the Senate diverges into 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats. If Walker is able to defeat Warnock, this alone will tip the majority into Republicans' favor, given that no one else in the party loses a seat.

Other polling has shown the Senate's likelihood of staying Democratic or flipping Republican is somewhat up in the air. At the end of the day, this will largely be determined by various battleground states, such as Georgia.

Some Republicans, like Sen. Rick Scott, have expressed confidence that the party will ultimately take the Senate and win in these battleground states. Seeing as the November midterms are a little over one month away, time will tell.