Georgia’s top Democrats are playing a central role trying to contain the fallout over President Joe Biden’s debate performance by fanning out to calm activists, donors and voters worried about his November chances.

At the heart of the damage control is U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a potential future White House contender who has led the chorus of party leaders working to reassure anxious Democrats that Biden can fend off former President Donald Trump.

But there are also growing signs of friction within the state party, with a former U.S. House member and current state legislator defying the campaign’s efforts to project unity by airing their concerns about the 81-year-old’s reelection bid.

The fissures over Biden’s health since last week’s debate in Atlanta come amid polls by CBS News that show an increasing number of voters don’t see Biden as physically or mentally fit for the presidency. The unrest over his flailing performance has set off a larger crisis.

“The first thing we all need to do right now is calm down,” said Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, a veteran of several White House campaigns. “I’ve been working in Democratic politics for more than 20 years now, and I’ve never seen our party in such a panic.”

Some are responding with candid soul-searching. Kenneth Gilkes, a Biden supporter from Snellville, had tongue-in-cheek advice for antsy Democrats after the debate: “Relax and be like a Trumpster” and fall in line.

Biden’s hopes of recapturing Georgia hinge on Black voters such as Gilkes who Democrats need to show up in droves in November if the president has any chance of keeping the state in his column.

And Black leaders in Georgia form the core of his salvation plan. Warnock, in particular, has emerged as one of the president’s most important allies after keeping Biden at arm’s length through much of his 2022 reelection bid.

Warnock has repeatedly squelched rumors about serving as a last-ditch stand-in for the president by saying Biden should “absolutely not” step aside. Nor would he entertain speculation that Vice President Kamala Harris should lead the ticket.

“I have great respect for Vice President Harris, whom I spent a great deal of time with,” Warnock told NBC’s “Meet the Press” over the weekend. “But Joe Biden is the nominee, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris come November.”

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