A Donald Trump-endorsed Republican congressman from Georgia, long shadowed by multiple controversies, has captured the state’s GOP Senate primary runoff and will now move on to face one of the Democratic Party’s fastest-rising figures.
Rep. Mike Collins defeated former football coach Derek Dooley in Tuesday night’s contest, according to an NBC News projection.
Entering Election Day, Collins was heavily favored, with prediction market Kalshi giving him a 90 percent chance of victory. With roughly half the ballots counted, he held an 8-point lead over Dooley.
Even so, people familiar with the White House political operation had voiced unease over Trump’s backing of Collins, who has drawn criticism for both contentious staffing choices and inflammatory social media activity.
Among the issues that have followed Collins: allegations that his former chief of staff helped secure a paid role for his girlfriend, who received $10,000 for work that other staff members reportedly could not identify. His current chief of staff was also reported to have participated in a group chat involving white nationalists and antisemites, while a former intern and campaign aide publicly described himself as racist.
Collins has also been accused of peddling ‘racist’ social media posts, specifically after he circulated a video in 2024 of a college student making monkey sounds and gestures at a black female student with the caption, ‘taking care of business.’
Republicans are also wary of the general election landscape, as Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, 39, has gained momentum in polling and is increasingly being talked about as a potential 2028 presidential contender. That buzz has been fueled by a string of forceful speeches sharply attacking Trump and energizing Democratic voters.
Collins beat former football coach Derek Dooley in a runoff for the Georgia Senate GOP primary on Tuesday
Georgia GOP Senate hopeful Congressman Mike Collins (L) with President Donald Trump (C) in the Oval Office with his wife Leigh Ann Collins (R). Trump endorsed Collins on Monday, the day before Tuesday’s runoff
Collins will now face incumbent Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff (shown above) in November’s general election
Trump threw his support behind the Congressman in a last-minute endorsement announced on Monday, all but formally cementing Collins as the Republican nominee.
Some in Trump’s orbit have raised alarm over Collins’ hardline stance on abortion – the Congressman said in 2022 he supported no exceptions, even for rape, incest or when a mother’s life is at risk.
A major Democratic super PAC dubbed Collins ‘an opposition researcher’s dream.’
‘He treats Congress like a money-making scheme for his family business, an ethics-free zone, and a conspiracy theory clearinghouse – sometimes all in the same week,’ said Lauren French, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority PAC after Collins was crowned the nominee.
Ossoff, meanwhile, is widely seen as a next-generation leader of the Democratic Party after his surprising 2021 election win over then-incumbent Republican David Perdue.
The Senator has also become one of the best fundraisers in the country, entering the general election cycle with over $32 million in his campaign coffers.
Collins, by contrast, has just over $1 million in campaign cash on hand, per his latest federal filings.
Polls heading into the November general election show Ossoff with an edge over Collins.
Polls asking voters on who they prefer in a head-to-head matchup between Ossoff and Collins show that the Democrat has a multi-point edge
Collins had a 98 percent chance of winning the Senate GOP primary runoff on Tuesday afternoon
The path to victory for Collins in the general election treads through difficult terrain.
Though Trump won Georgia by two points in 2024, the state is still seen as a battleground that has flipped back and forth between the two parties.
Ossoff, meanwhile, is the only Democratic Senator who is up for reelection in a state that Trump won, meaning the GOP has their target set on him to flip the state red.
