Mike Collins and Derek Dooley emerged as the top two contenders in the Georgia Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, CBS News projects, setting up a runoff election on June 16.
Neither candidate secured the required 50% majority in Tuesday’s primary, leading to the runoff as mandated by Georgia election law. GOP Rep. Buddy Carter was eliminated in the first round after failing to place in the top two.
Runoff contenders and GOP race dynamics
Mike Collins, a trucking business owner and first-term congressman since 2023, and Derek Dooley, a former college football coach and attorney, will compete to face Democrat Jon Ossoff in the general election. Collins and Carter had aligned their campaigns closely with former President Donald Trump, though Trump has not endorsed any candidate in this race. Dooley, endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, has positioned himself as a political outsider and has not embraced Trump in the same way.
The primary contest highlighted intraparty divisions. Carter criticized both Collins and Dooley, questioning Collins’ ethics amid a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged misuse of congressional funds—a claim Collins has denied—and labeling Dooley insufficiently conservative.
Democratic incumbent Ossoff’s standing
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, unopposed in his primary, has represented Georgia since 2021 after winning a runoff that helped clinch a Senate majority for Democrats. Despite Georgia’s rightward shift in the 2024 presidential election, Ossoff has demonstrated strong fundraising capabilities, reportedly raising $14 million in the first quarter of 2026 and maintaining over $32 million in cash on hand.
Ossoff’s campaign appears fortified by significant financial support, including a $20 million television ad investment announced by the Democratic Senate Majority PAC. The leading Senate GOP super PAC has also allocated $44 million for advertising nationwide, signaling the high stakes of the race.
Why it matters
Georgia’s Senate seat is crucial in the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Despite Donald Trump’s win in Georgia during the 2024 presidential election, Republicans have struggled to win Senate races in the state since 2016. The prolonged GOP primary—marked by a runoff and internal disputes—gives Ossoff a strategic advantage as he campaigns for a second term.
The outcome of the Republican runoff will determine which candidate attempts to unseat Ossoff, as both parties target Georgia as a pivotal battleground in the 2026 midterm elections.
Sources
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