Former President Donald Trump has made a late-stage endorsement in the Republican primary for a critical U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, ahead of the midterm elections.
On his Truth Social account, Trump declared his support for Rep. Mike Collins over former football coach Derek Dooley – a newcomer to the political scene.
The primary between Collins and Dooley takes place on Tuesday, deciding who will go up against incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in the November midterm election.
In his post, Trump praised Collins as a loyal supporter of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement and called him a "true friend, warrior, and fighter."
Senator Ossoff took office in 2021 during a blue wave in Georgia, when a majority of the state’s voters backed former President Joe Biden as well as Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock.
Georgia, long dominated by Republicans, swung back to Trump in the 2024 election. Unseating Ossoff is seen as one of the Republicans’ best opportunities to gain a seat in the 100-member Senate, where they hold a slim 53-seat majority.
Democrats hope to take control of both the House and Senate in November, which would create a major obstacle to Trump’s agenda in his final two years in office.
Republican Internal Divisions
Trump’s endorsement pits Collins against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R), who has backed Dooley.
Governor Kemp generally supports Trump but has clashed with him on some issues, especially Trump’s baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 Georgia election.
Dooley said he did not vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections when Trump was on the ballot, and has stated that the 2020 election results in Georgia were legitimate.
Collins secured about 40% of the vote in the May 19 Georgia Republican primary, while Dooley took around 30%. Rep. Buddy Carter, who did not advance to the next round, finished a close third.
It is unclear how Trump’s endorsement will affect the race. He made his statement after early voting for the runoff had already concluded.
Trump’s endorsements during the primary season have produced mixed results.
His backing of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is credited with helping the MAGA figure defeat Senator John Cornyn (R) in the Texas primary runoff. Cornyn had been seen as the strongest Republican contender to face Democratic candidate James Talarico in the general election.
In Iowa, Trump’s late endorsement of Rep. Randy Feenstra was not enough to overcome Republican challenger Zach Lahn in the gubernatorial primary.
Beyond Georgia, Alabama will hold several primaries on Tuesday, including a Republican race for the Senate seat of Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor. Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., will also hold primaries.
