The Georgia Runoff & G.O.P. Senators Unleashed

Derek Dooley
Left standing ahead of round two on June 16 are Rep. Mike Collins and Derek Dooley, pictured, the former University of Tennessee football coach and close friend of Gov. Brian Kemp. Photo: Ben Hendren/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Leigh Ann Caldwell
May 20, 2026

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Georgia’s Tuesday primary ended in a runoff for the G.O.P. nomination to replace Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff—none of the top three contenders got to a majority. Left standing ahead of round two on June 16 are Rep. Mike Collins and Derek Dooley, the former University of Tennessee football coach and close friend of Gov. Brian Kemp. Kemp’s aggressive support for Dooley helped him advance this far, but could hurt in June. Trump, meanwhile, hasn’t endorsed in the race, but I was told before the results came in that he is expected to weigh in for Collins in the event of a runoff. After all, Trump has despised Kemp ever since the governor pushed back against his desire to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.