Rep. Mike Collins secured the Republican nomination for the Georgia Senate race, defeating Derek Dooley, a former college football coach. Collins' victory was reinforced by an endorsement from President Donald Trump, who took to Truth Social to back Collins, calling him a "true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR." This setup a proxy battle between Trump and Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who had endorsed Dooley.
Collins, a first-term congressman and trucking company owner, campaigned as a "MAGA warrior" and closely aligned himself with Trump. He previously won his House seat in 2022. The runoff was necessary after no candidate achieved over 50% of the vote in the initial May 19 primary, where Collins garnered 40.5% and Dooley secured 30.2%.
Collins will now face incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in a race that is expected to be one of the most competitive and expensive in the country. Ossoff, who was first elected in 2020 by just over a point, is the sole Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state that Trump won in 2024. Democrats are aiming to gain a net of four seats to secure a Senate majority.
The financial advantage currently lies with Ossoff, whose campaign has raised over $80 million and had $32 million on hand as of late April. In contrast, Collins' campaign had raised $4.9 million and retained $1.2 million through the end of May. The Georgia Senate race is considered a crucial battleground, with Republicans not having won a U.S. Senate contest in the state since 2016.
