U.S. Representative Mike Collins won Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff on June 16, defeating former football coach Derek Dooley and securing the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November’s general election.
Collins, who represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, benefited from a last-minute endorsement by President Trump on June 14, just two days before the runoff vote. The endorsement put Trump at odds with Governor Brian Kemp, who backed Dooley, creating a high-profile test of competing Republican power bases in the state.
Dooley, a former college football coach, had positioned himself as an outsider and received strong support from Kemp, who campaigned alongside him in the final days. The runoff emerged after neither Collins nor Dooley secured enough votes to win outright in the May 19 primary, which featured three prominent Republican candidates.
Collins and Dooley’s clash represented a broader divide within Georgia’s Republican Party. Trump’s endorsement of Collins came after initially questioning whether the congressman could win the general election due to his stance on abortion, according to Politico. Despite those concerns, Trump ultimately backed Collins over Kemp’s preferred candidate, signaling the former president’s continued influence over Republican primary races.
The winner now faces Ossoff, the incumbent Democrat who won his seat in a 2020 runoff. The November general election will determine whether Republicans can flip the Senate seat in a state that has become increasingly competitive in recent years. Ossoff won his 2020 runoff against Republican David Perdue, giving Democrats a key victory in that cycle.
Sources
- NBC News — Confirmed Collins’ runoff victory and that he will face Ossoff in November; reported Trump’s endorsement of Collins and Kemp’s backing of Dooley.
- CBS News — Reported Collins’ projected win and the competing endorsements from Trump and Kemp.
- Atlanta News First — Confirmed Collins defeated Dooley and will challenge Ossoff.
- The Washington Post — Covered the runoff results and Trump’s endorsement as a test of his influence in Georgia.
- Politico — Reported Trump’s initial doubts about Collins’ electability on abortion issues before endorsing him.
- ABC News — Described Trump’s endorsement as creating tension with Governor Kemp’s backing of Dooley.
- Al Jazeera — Confirmed Collins and Ossoff will face off in November and noted Trump’s endorsement role.
