The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff has defeated Republican Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia’s Senate race.
Ossoff was once seen by Republicans as the most vulnerable Democratic senator running for re-election in the 2026 midterms. He will now serve another term representing Georgia. He took an early lead after polls closed Tuesday, and his advantage grew as the night went on.
His win means Georgia, which has moved closer to the political center in recent years, will continue to have two Democratic senators. Ossoff is the second Democratic senator projected to retain his seat Tuesday, following Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia.
The Senate Democrats’ campaign arm praised Ossoff’s work in a statement, saying he had focused on constituent services, children and improving life for Georgians. The group added that voters had returned him to the Senate because they knew he would continue to show up for them.
Ossoff and fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock won runoff elections at the end of the 2020 election cycle, ending roughly 15 years of all-Republican representation for Georgia in the Senate. Weeks earlier, Joe Biden had become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in nearly three decades.
The state shifted right again in 2024, when President Donald Trump carried Georgia and won the White House. At the start of the 2026 election cycle, Republicans viewed the Senate seat as a major pickup opportunity as they sought to preserve their 53-47 majority.
Ossoff secured his party’s nomination without opposition and built a large campaign fund. Collins, meanwhile, faced Rep. Buddy Carter and former college football coach Derek Dooley in a contentious Republican primary. Dooley had the support of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is barred from seeking another term.
Collins and Dooley advanced to a June runoff, where Collins won after receiving a late endorsement from Trump.
In the general election, Collins made illegal immigration a central issue, pointing to the Laken Riley Act, which he wrote. The law calls for certain immigrants in the country illegally to be detained if they are arrested for, charged with, convicted of or admit to specified offenses. Ossoff voted for the legislation but has criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement approach.
Collins also blamed Ossoff for policies he said contributed to higher inflation and taxes. Ossoff, in turn, criticized Collins for supporting Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran, which contributed to higher fuel prices and broader cost-of-living pressures.
In their debates, Ossoff questioned Collins about a House ethics inquiry into whether he misused taxpayer money by hiring the girlfriend of his former chief of staff for work she allegedly did not perform. Collins has dismissed the matter as a baseless complaint.
Collins also faced criticism over social media posts by his son-in-law, a far-right influencer, that featured Nazi imagery and antisemitic conspiracy theories. Ossoff was questioned about campaign donations from venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, whose name appeared in the Epstein files.
Outside groups aligned with Republicans initially spent heavily to support Collins and counter Ossoff’s fundraising advantage. But that spending dropped substantially in the weeks before Election Day, suggesting that some Republicans had lost confidence in their chances of flipping the seat.
Some political observers have suggested Ossoff could seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. He has repeatedly said he has “zero interest” in running for president next cycle. In a debate with Collins last month, he also promised to serve his full six-year Senate term if re-elected.
A Georgia native, Ossoff worked as a national security staffer and legislative assistant for Rep. Hank Johnson before becoming managing director of an investigative documentary production company. He drew national attention in 2017 after narrowly losing a special election for a House seat long held by Republicans.
Collins, also a Georgia native, is the son of the late Rep. Mac Collins. He co-founded a trucking company with his wife and was first elected to Congress in 2022.
