Former President Donald Trump has officially endorsed U.S. Representative Mike Collins in the Georgia Republican Senate runoff election. This endorsement, announced early Sunday, positions Collins, a trucking company owner and a second-term congressman described by Trump as a "true friend, fighter, and WARRIOR" and a loyalist to his "Make America Great Again" movement, against former football coach Derek Dooley.
The runoff, scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, will decide which Republican candidate will challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in the upcoming November midterm elections. Collins led the May 19 primary with nearly 41% of the vote, while Dooley secured approximately 30%. Neither candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff. The contest is a proxy battle between Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who has thrown his support behind Dooley. Trump criticized Dooley, stating, "I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else," and questioned Dooley's voting record, claiming he "didn’t vote in 2020 or 2016."
Collins has consistently echoed Trump's claims of a fraudulent 2020 election and has championed legislation like the 2025 Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of immigrants charged with certain crimes. Senator Ossoff initially opposed this measure but later supported it after Trump's return to the White House. Dooley and Kemp argue that a first-time candidate like Dooley would have a better chance against Ossoff, who is the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state Trump won in 2024. Republicans view Ossoff's seat as a prime pickup opportunity to gain control of the Senate, despite Ossoff's significant fundraising advantage, having raised $60.4 million and holding $32.5 million on hand by late April, compared to less than $5 million raised by either GOP candidate by the end of May.
