Senate candidates from Georgia, Derek Dooley and Mike Collins, both Republicans, have reported raising close to $2 million in their high-stakes primary race against Senator John Ossoff, a Democrat, for next fall.
Dooley’s campaign indicated it has brought in over $1.85 million since launching in early August, concluding the quarter with approximately $1.7 million in the bank.
Collins, on the other hand, revealed he has raised about $1.9 million since starting his campaign in late July, which includes a $1 million transfer from his Congressional campaign to his Senate efforts.
His campaign also shared that the average donation during this period was around $47, concluding the quarter with $2.4 million available.
Additionally, Sen. Buddy Carter, another Republican hopeful aiming to secure the GOP nomination against Ossoff, has yet to disclose his financial figures for the last quarter. Candidates must submit their third quarter fundraising reports, covering July to September, by October 15th.
The figures released are significant and set the stage for what is anticipated to be a fiercely contested Republican primary. Dooley, a former soccer coach at the University of Tennessee, has the backing of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. In contrast, Collins has mobilized a structured team across all 159 counties to support his bid from the outset.
Ossoff’s seat is viewed as a prime target for Republicans following his narrow victory over David Perdue, former ambassador to China, in a tightly contested race in 2021.
The GOP missed a chance at gaining a Senate seat in 2022 when Raphael Warnock narrowly defeated Herschel Walker, who was endorsed by Trump, amid controversies surrounding Walker, such as undisclosed personal matters.
This time, Republicans are keen to avoid repeating past mistakes in Georgia. As of now, Trump has not yet endorsed any Senate candidates.
