Georgia Senate Race Heats up as Mike Collins Jumps In

The congressman hopes to replace Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), entering a primary where no front-runner has emerged.

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) in a still released by NTD on June 7, 2023. NTD

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) has thrown his hat in the ring to represent the State of Georgia in the U.S. Senate, stepping up the intensity of a closely watched Senate primary.

On the morning of July 28, the congressman and trucking entrepreneur drew attention to his candidacy in the 2026 GOP contest on X.

In an announcement video, Collins highlighted his sponsorship of the Laken Riley Act, the first bill that President Donald Trump signed during his second term. Under the law, the Department of Homeland Security must detain foreign nationals arrested, charged, or convicted of certain crimes, such as burglary or causing serious bodily harm or death.

A July 27 video from his Senate campaign’s X account, “Mike Collins War Room,” drew criticism online for misspelling the word “Georgia.”

Collins has represented the Peach State’s 10th District since 2023.

A Competitive Race

Republicans in the race hope to replace Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), the youngest lawmaker in the upper chamber and one of two Democrats now representing the southern state.

The general election could prove quite competitive in Georgia, which President Donald Trump won by more than 2 percent in 2024.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan organization, rates Georgia’s 2026 Senate race a toss-up. So does Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

Ossoff took office in 2021 after defeating a Republican incumbent, David Perdue, in a runoff election. Perdue is now the United States’ ambassador to China.

Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.) entered the race in May.

John King, Georgia’s insurance commissioner, announced his candidacy that same month. He dropped out on July 24, just days before Collins made his announcement.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Gov. Brian Kemp have made it clear they do not intend to seek the seat.

Yet, Kemp may have a hand in the race, too. In June, former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley suggested he could soon declare his candidacy.

Dooley has deep family ties to Kemp. His brother, Daniel Dooley, lived with Kemp at the University of Georgia. In addition, the former University of Tennessee football coach is the son of the late Vince Dooley, who coached football at the University of Georgia for a quarter century.

“Great to be in Athens with the Dooley family to honor U.S. Senator [Kelly Loeffler],” Kemp wrote on his X account in 2020. Loeffler, now the administrator of the Small Business Administration, was a senator from Georgia from 2020 until 2021, when Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) defeated her in a runoff election.

Kemp and Trump previously clashed over the 2020 presidential election, which Kemp has stated “was not stolen.”

Fundraising Favors Incumbent So Far

Ossoff has so far led his Republican rivals in fundraising by a significant margin according to the latest figures from the Federal Election Commission.

As of June 30, the Democrat has almost $15.5 million in cash on hand after raising nearly $42 million to date.

Carter had $4 million on hand after raising about $3.5 million. King had about $450,000 on hand after raising more than $500,000 prior to dropping out.

Independent spending has also overwhelmingly favored Ossoff.

On X, Collins said he raised $220,000 during the first 12 hours of his candidacy, a figure The Epoch Times could not independently confirm.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.