Mike Collins seeks a Georgia Senate runoff victory today with President Trump’s last-minute endorsement backing him against rival Derek Dooley, in a race that has exposed a sharp divide within the Republican Party between Trump and Governor Brian Kemp.
Trump issued his endorsement of the U.S. Representative early Sunday morning on Truth Social at 1 a.m., on his 80th birthday, according to Politico. The move shocked some Collins aides who woke up to the news and surprised observers given Trump’s private doubts about Collins’ electability just weeks earlier.
In a late May meeting at the White House, Trump repeatedly pressed Collins on his hardline abortion stance, concerned it would hurt him in a general election against Democrat Jon Ossoff, according to three people familiar with the discussion cited by Politico. Collins had previously stated “I have always been and always will be 100 percent pro-life, period. No exceptions” during a 2022 debate for his House seat. But on the campaign trail for Senate, Collins has softened his position, now saying he supports “Georgia’s heartbeat law, which includes exceptions, 100 percent,” according to remarks obtained by Politico.
Despite those initial reservations, Trump decided to back Collins anyway. Collins and Trump spoke shortly before the president’s 1 a.m. endorsement, according to two people familiar with the call. Trump further reaffirmed his support Monday afternoon during a tele-rally from France, where he was attending G7 meetings. “Mike is a special guy, a special congressman, a special person, and so I’d like to have everybody go out and get out and vote for this man,” Trump said, according to Politico.
Trump’s Endorsement Versus Kemp’s Backing
The endorsement puts Trump directly at odds with Kemp, one of the most popular Republicans in Georgia. Kemp has backed Dooley, a former University of Tennessee football coach making his first run for office. The split reflects broader tensions within the GOP over electability in a crucial swing state that hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate in a decade.
Dooley and Kemp dismissed Trump’s late push at a Monday morning press conference. “A vote for Mike Collins is a vote for Jon Ossoff. A vote for me is a vote for the people of Georgia,” Dooley said, according to Politico. Trump, in his tele-rally, also attacked Dooley for not voting in 2016 and 2020, and for saying Trump lost Georgia in 2020—a statement that was factually correct. “He said he didn’t think I won the election in 2020, and I won it by a lot,” Trump falsely claimed, according to Politico.
Collins had already lined up support from Trump-aligned groups before the president’s endorsement. Club for Growth PAC, a powerful GOP super PAC closely allied with Trump, backed Collins early in the primary. He also secured support from Turning Point Action and close Trump allies like Rep. Brian Jack, a former top adviser. In late May, Collins hired several of Trump’s top political advisers to his campaign, according to Axios.
The winner of today’s runoff will face Ossoff, the Democratic incumbent, in November’s general election. Polls have shown the race is competitive, and Republicans are trying to avoid the electability problems that plagued some 2022 midterm campaigns in Georgia.
Sources
- Politico — Trump’s hesitations about Collins’ abortion stance, the White House meeting, Collins’ evolving position on abortion, the 1 a.m. endorsement, the tele-rally remarks, and Dooley’s response
- Axios — Collins hiring Trump advisers to his campaign
- AP News — Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement and Collins celebrating the backing
- NBC News — Dooley’s backing by Kemp and the runoff details
- Al Jazeera — Trump endorsing Collins over Dooley to face Ossoff in November
