Brian Kemp Won’t Run for the US Senate in 2026

The Georgia governor was widely regarded as the leading Republican primary candidate in 2026 to try to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp delivers the State of the State address on the House floor of the state Capitol in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 25, 2023. Alex Slitz/AP Photo

WASHINGTON—Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has announced that he will not be a candidate in the U.S. Senate election in Georgia in 2026.

A Republican serving his second and final term as governor, Kemp has long been seen as the prime candidate for the Republican nomination in the election.