Donald Trump nominated Mike Collins over Derek Dooley in the election to determine who would face Democrat Jon Ossoff in the November midterm elections.
Published June 14, 2026
US President Donald Trump has late announced his support for the Republican run-offs in Georgia’s crucial U.S. Senate race ahead of the midterm elections.
In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump expressed support for Congressman Mike Collins over former football coach and political newcomer Derek Dooley.
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Mr. Collins and Mr. Dooley will face off in Tuesday’s Republican runoff election to determine who will challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the November midterm elections.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump praised Collins, calling him a fervent supporter of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and a “true friend, warrior, and warrior.”
Ossoff took office in 2021 as part of Georgia’s Blue Wave, where a majority of the state voted for former U.S. President Joe Biden and fellow Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Georgia, which has had a Republican majority for decades, returned to support Trump in the 2024 vote. Defeating Mr. Ossoff is seen as one of the best chances for Republicans to win new seats in the 100-seat majority, and they hope to maintain their slim 53-seat majority.
Democrats hope to win a majority in both chambers in November, which would provide a major bulwark against President Trump’s policies during his final two years in office.
Republican Party split
President Trump’s endorsement puts Collins up against Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who has supported Dooley.
Although Kemp remains generally supportive of Trump, he has clashed with Trump on several issues, particularly Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 Georgia election was marred by fraud.
Dooley has maintained that Georgia’s election results were legitimate, saying he did not vote in 2016 or 2020, when Trump was scheduled to vote.
In the Georgia Republican primary held on May 19, Mr. Collins received approximately 40% of the vote and Mr. Dooley approximately 30%. Congressman Buddy Carter, who did not advance to the runoff, came in a close third place.
It remains unclear how big an impact Trump’s support will have. He made the announcement after early voting for the runoff had already ended.
Trump’s support has been mixed during the primary season.
President Trump’s decision to support Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was seen as helping MAGA supporters defeat Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas primary runoff.
Cornyn was widely seen as the most likely Republican candidate to take on Democratic challenger James Talarico in the general election.
In Iowa, President Trump’s late endorsement of U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra prevented him from gaining the leverage he needed to defeat fellow Republican Zach Rahn in the gubernatorial primary.
In addition to the runoff elections in Georgia, several primary runoff elections will be held in Alabama on Tuesday. That includes a Republican fight for the reliably red seat of Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.
Primary voting will also be held in federal districts in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.
