Two Republican candidates will face off in a June runoff election after neither secured enough votes to win Georgia’s U.S. Senate primary outright on Tuesday, setting up a continued battle within the party to determine who will challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff this fall.
U.S. Representative Mike Collins captured 40.5% of the vote while former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley received 30%, with 80% of ballots tallied, according to the Associated Press. Their advancement to the June 16 runoff knocked out a third candidate, Representative Buddy Carter, who had invested significant resources in building recognition across the state.
The Republican who ultimately wins the nomination will face a challenging race against Ossoff, a 39-year-old former media executive whose reelection bid could play a crucial role in determining whether Democrats can gain Senate control, as Republicans currently hold a 53-47 advantage.
Collins, 58, who has served two terms in the House of Representatives, has maintained his position as the leading candidate by adopting an aggressive, vocal style similar to President Donald Trump and highlighting his sponsorship of the Laken Riley Act, legislation named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by someone accused of being in the country without legal status.
Dooley, 57, who works as an attorney in addition to his coaching background, has campaigned as a fresh face in Washington politics and secured the backing of two-term Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. Kemp had been considered a potential front-runner for the Senate nomination but chose not to pursue the race.
Ossoff, the sole Senate Democrat seeking reelection in a state Trump won in 2024, has been leading both Collins and Dooley in polling. The Republican candidates, like others in the state, face challenges from Trump’s declining approval ratings amid concerns over increasing costs for gas and other essential goods.
While Trump secured Georgia with nearly 51% of the vote, independent political experts now classify the state as favoring Democrats. Ossoff initially won his Senate seat by defeating Trump-supported Republican incumbent David Perdue in a 2021 runoff contest.
