Trump backs Collins in Georgia runoff against Kemp-backed Dooley

Donald Trump threw his support behind Rep. Mike Collins on Sunday, hardening a Georgia Republican Senate runoff into a proxy fight between Trump-aligned conservatives and Gov. Brian Kemp’s camp. The endorsement came two days before GOP voters were set to decide whether Collins or Derek Dooley will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

The runoff was forced by Georgia law after none of the three Republican candidates cleared a majority in the May 19 primary. Collins finished first with about 40.5% to 41% of the vote, Dooley followed with about 30.2%, and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter took about 25.1%.

Trump’s decision gave Collins a late burst of momentum in a race already defined by factional lines inside the Georgia Republican Party. Kemp had endorsed Dooley and cast him as the outsider best positioned to challenge Ossoff, while Trump’s support underscored how much the contest has become a test of the former president’s hold over Republican primaries in a state that remains central to the party’s Senate strategy.

The stakes stretch well beyond the runoff itself. The winner will be the Republican nominee for one of the most closely watched Senate races of 2026 and will inherit a costly fall campaign against Ossoff, who is seeking a second term. Republicans view Ossoff as one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents and are treating the Georgia seat as a prime pickup opportunity in a politically pivotal state.

Early voting had already built a substantial head start before Election Day. More than 128,000 people had cast ballots by June 9, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, signaling strong attention to a race that has drawn national scrutiny.

Ossoff has tried to turn that scrutiny back on both Republicans, calling Collins and Dooley “Trump puppets” as he works to frame the runoff as a choice between two candidates tied to the former president. For Trump and Kemp, the contest is about more than a Senate seat: it is a public measure of which Republican power center still has the stronger grip on Georgia heading into November.