Georgia Senate Runoff: Mike Collins Triumphs

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) emerged victorious over Derek Dooley in the Republican runoff for Georgia’s Senate seat on Tuesday.

NBC News projected Collins’ win just over an hour after polls closed, with nearly 45% of the votes counted. Initially, Collins had garnered 53.3% while Dooley secured 46.7%.

Decision Desk Headquarters also called the race for Collins, who represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District and owns a trucking business. Dooley, a first-time candidate and former University of Tennessee football coach, was backed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

No candidate achieved over 50% of the vote during the May 19 primary, prompting the runoff between Collins and Dooley.

Collins had a primary approval rating of 40.5%, followed by Dooley with 30.2% and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) at 25.1%. Other candidates received minimal votes. Under Georgia’s rules, the top two candidates advance to a runoff if no one secures the majority.

Leading up to the primary, Collins consistently showed an edge in opinion polls. As the election day neared, Dooley began to gain traction and his supporters invested heavily in advertising.

In November, Collins will take on incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who has been labeled as one of the “most vulnerable” Democrats seeking re-election. There’s speculation that Ossoff might have presidential aspirations for 2028. This Georgia Senate race is anticipated to be a tight contest, potentially influencing the balance of power for the remainder of President Trump’s second term.

Through Tuesday, the RealClear polling average indicated Collins as showing substantial challenge to Ossoff, leading by 2.8 points. Conversely, Ossoff was projected to outpace Dooley by 6.7 points.

Interestingly, President Trump only declared his support for Collins at the last minute, referring to him as “MAGA Mike Collins” and complimenting his loyalty. He also remarked, “I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice guy.” However, Trump emphasized that Dooley had not lived in Georgia for most of his life and failed to vote in the previous elections.

Earlier, Trump endorsed Republican Lt. Gov. Bert Jones for Georgia’s gubernatorial race, who previously beat out Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr in the Republican primary and faced billionaire Rick Jackson in the runoff election.