Photo: Alamy
Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins won Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff Tuesday, defeating former football coach Derek Dooley and securing the GOP nomination to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the 2026 midterm elections.
Decision Desk HQ called the race roughly an hour after polls closed. With about 56 percent of votes counted, Collins led with 54.1 percent to Dooley’s 45.9 percent.
“So happy for highly respected Congressman Mike Collins. He will win his Senate Race in Georgia against a pathetic failed Dumocrat Senator, Os(jerk!)off, who is a joke in D.C. Nobody even knows who he is!!! I’ll be doing Big TRUMP Rallies for Mike in Georgia!” President Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday night.
Collins entered the runoff as the frontrunner after finishing first in the May primary and received a late endorsement from President Donald Trump, who praised the congressman as a dependable supporter of the America First agenda.
The runoff highlighted competing factions within the Georgia Republican Party. Dooley, the son of legendary Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, was backed by term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republicans who viewed him as the strongest candidate for the general election.
Collins campaigned as a staunch conservative closely aligned with Trump, focusing on border security, immigration enforcement, and reducing federal spending. He frequently cited his support for the Laken Riley Act and other immigration-related measures.
The victory immediately shifts attention to the general election against Ossoff, who is seeking a second Senate term. Republicans consider the Georgia seat one of their best pickup opportunities and a critical contest in the battle for control of the Senate.
“Georgia, I’m honored to be your Republican nominee for the United States Senate. Now it’s time to get to work, defeat Jon Ossoff, and take this seat back for the people of this state. Hammer Down!” Collins posted on X.
Georgia has become one of the nation’s premier political battlegrounds in recent election cycles, and the race is expected to attract significant national attention, outside spending and involvement from both parties.