Rep. Mike Collins, the projected winner of Georgia’s Republican Senate primary runoff, will face off against Sen. Jon Ossoff this fall.
The Georgia Senate race is one of the most competitive in the country, and it is expected to be one of the most expensive.
President Donald Trump endorsed Collins just a day before the polls closed on Tuesday, calling the lawmaker “a Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning,” in a Truth Social post.
Collins’ opponent in the runoff was Derek Dooley, a political newcomer and former professional football coach. Collins led Dooley by 10 percentage points in the primary on May 19, but because neither candidate cleared 50% of the vote they advanced to the runoff.
Trending
Dooley was endorsed by Gov. Brian Kemp, who has been at odds with the president since the 2020 election when Trump asked the governor not to certify the Georgia election results. Kemp refused. This race became a test of his political strength against Trump’s.
“Now it’s time to get to work, defeat Jon Ossoff, and take this seat back for the people of this state,” Collins said in a statement after his win.
But Trump couldn’t claim a win in the gubernatorial runoff: Rick Jackson, a health care executive who self-funded more than $100 million for his own campaign, overcame Trump’s pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
Jackson is projected to face Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic former mayor of Atlanta, in November.
Collins will need to quickly raise money for the general election, as Ossoff has proven to be a prolific fundraiser. Ossoff, who ran an uncontested primary, had already raised a little more than $60 million for his campaign as of April 29. Collins had raised around $4.8 million as of May 27.
Republicans are eager to end Ossoff’s tenure, not only for the seat but also because of their recent streak of unsuccessful Senate runs in the battleground state.
Democrats were quick to respond to Collins as the Republican nominee.
“Collins, who is only a congressman because his daddy was a congressman, voted for double health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians, for the Iran War, and for the Trump tariffs,” Ossoff said in a statement.
The Senate’s campaign arm immediately released a digital ad calling Collins “too extreme.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Author
