Collins wins Georgia Senate runoff, to challenge Ossoff
· Axios
Republican Rep. Mike Collins on Tuesday defeated Derek Dooley and will face off against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in November.
Why it matters: President Trump endorsed Collins after the May 19 primary. He now faces a well-funded Democratic incumbent who's won a statewide campaign in Georgia before.
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- Republicans view the Georgia Democrat's seat as key to maintaining control of the U.S. Senate.
Zoom in: Collins won roughly 55% of the vote, according to preliminary results from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office.
- The AP called the race for Collins just after 8:30pm with 52% of the vote counted.
- Dooley later conceded to Collins, the AP reported. "He ran a tough campaign, he got out early and we just never could catch him."
Between the lines: The runoff became one of the clearest tests yet of the competing arguments shaping the Republican Party in Georgia and nationally: embrace MAGA or pursue an alternative path to victory.
- Collins, a trucking company owner who represents a red district between Atlanta and Augusta, ran as a Trump loyalist who made immigration enforcement a central focus of his campaign.
- Kemp, a popular swing-state governor rounding out his second and final term in office, was a Dooley campaign trail fixture.
Follow the money: Collins raised $4.3 million up to the most recent disclosure deadline, according to Open Secrets.
- By comparison, Ossoff has raised more than $57 million and built one of the Senate's strongest campaign war chests.
What they're saying: In his victory speech Tuesday night, Collins thanked Dooley for running a "spirited campaign" and Kemp for "his leadership and his friendship over the years."
- "We all know what the mission is here," Collins said.
- On X, Ossoff slammed Collins as an "extremist" and attacked his voting record on issues like the Iran conflict.
What's next: The general election is Nov. 3.