Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff maintains a 9-point lead over Republican Mike Collins in Georgia’s 2026 Senate race, according to a new AARP poll conducted July 13-16. The survey of 1,060 likely voters found Ossoff at 52 percent support compared to Collins’s 43 percent, with the lead outside the 3-point margin of error, as the general election approaches in November.
Collins, who won the Republican primary runoff against former football coach Derek Dooley last month, has secured Trump’s endorsement and is running as a pro-Trump conservative. Ossoff, seeking a second term after his 2021 election victory, has emerged as a vocal Trump critic, particularly over the former president’s continued focus on the 2020 election.
The age breakdown in the AARP survey reveals stark generational divides in the race. Among voters ages 18-49, Ossoff holds a commanding 30-point advantage. In the 50-64 age group, Ossoff leads by 5 points. However, among voters 65 and older, Collins reverses course with a 24-point edge. Voters 50 and up comprised more than two-thirds of respondents, with nearly 9 in 10 saying they have maximum motivation to vote in November, compared to roughly 6 in 10 younger voters.
Ossoff’s polling position reflects a consistent pattern from earlier surveys. A Fox News poll released July 1 showed Ossoff holding a double-digit lead at that time. The incumbent has also maintained a fundraising advantage—in mid-July, Ossoff’s campaign announced it had raised an additional $20 million, outpacing Collins’s fundraising totals in the competitive battleground race.
If Ossoff wins reelection, he would become the first Georgia Democrat to serve multiple full Senate terms since former Sen. Sam Nunn, who retired in 1997. Georgia has emerged as a key battleground state in recent election cycles, with Democrats flipping both Senate seats in the 2020-2021 cycle. The 2026 race is expected to draw significant national attention and spending from both parties.
Sources
- The Hill — AARP poll results showing Ossoff’s 9-point lead, poll methodology, age breakdowns, candidate backgrounds, and election date
- Fox News — earlier poll showing Ossoff’s double-digit lead as of July 1
- Georgia Recorder — Ossoff’s $20 million fundraising announcement and fundraising comparison
- NBC News — Collins’s Republican runoff victory over Derek Dooley
