Collins and Dooley head to Georgia Senate runoff on June 16

Rep. Mike Collins and former college football coach Derek Dooley will face each other in a June 16 runoff to decide the Republican nominee for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat.

The contest follows a primary that also included Rep. Buddy Carter. President Donald Trump has not endorsed either Collins or Dooley.

Dooley has presented himself as an outsider who would back Trump on issues important to Georgians. He said he would push for term limits, a ban on insider trading and an end to government shutdowns.

Collins has highlighted his conservative record and past support for Trump. He said Georgia needs a Republican who has delivered results and stood with the president when it counted.

Ossoff campaign spokesperson Ellie Doughtery said the outcome of the primary does not change the general election outlook. She said whichever Republican advances will remain tied to Trump and that the Ossoff campaign will keep building momentum.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has endorsed Dooley. Kemp said he wants to win the Senate seat back and believes Dooley is the right person to do it.

The runoff could become another point of tension between Kemp and Trump, who have clashed since the 2020 election. Dooley and Collins could serve as stand-ins if Trump enters the race.

Democrats remain confident that Ossoff can hold the seat even though he is the only Senate Democratic incumbent running in a state Trump carried in 2024. Sen. Raphael Warnock said the Republican infighting should continue.