(Recorder of Georgia) Many people in the crowd wore shirts with stickers of Georgia Congressman Mike Collins’ red, white, and blue big rig-inspired emblem as he launched his 2026 campaign for the U.S. Senate this week.
The shiny name tags that members of Georgia’s Legislature wear are an uncommon accessory that many people at Tuesday’s event wore.
The Collins campaign is highlighting the support of 40 Republican state senators and reps, only weeks into the Jackson Republican’s strategy to beat Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.Congressman Mike Collins. (Georgia/Ross Williams) Recorder
The fact that there are two other well-known candidates in the Republican primary, one of whom has the support of Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, may make it less shocking. Although Trump has not officially endorsed a candidate, the governor was in communication with him to explore selecting a candidate they could both support.
With Kemp’s support, former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley—son of the renowned Vince Dooley of the University of Georgia—joined Collins and U.S. Representative Buddy Carter in the contest at the beginning of the month.
At the Collins event, lawmakers gave both political and personal justifications for their backing. He is well-known to many, as is his father, the late U.S. Representative Mac Collins, who was a member of Congress from 1993 to 2005.
“I live five minutes from Mike, so this is probably the easiest for me,” Jackson Republican state representative Clint Crowe said. My hometown is here. This is where I grew up. His sister and I attended the same high school. He and his parents attend the same church as me. Since I’ve spent the most of my life as friends with the family, I know Mike, his background, and who he is, so I can easily decide to support him.
Others pointed to the Laken Riley Act, which Trump signed into federal law after Collins sponsored it. It increases the authority of the government to hold non-citizens for non-violent or property crimes. Last year, Riley, a 22-year-old student, was killed on the University of Georgia campus in the Collins district. After being found guilty of her murder, a Venezuelan man who had entered the country illegally was given a life sentence without the possibility of release.
None of the lawmakers claimed that Kemp’s administration had put pressure on them to back Dooley or not back Collins.
Since no one from the governor’s office or Mr. Dooley’s team has contacted me, I’m hoping they will respect my stance. “My position won’t change if they don’t,” Crowe stated.
Still a three-man race
In the contest, which is still more than eight months away, Georgia Republican strategist Brian Robinson minimized the importance of the legislator endorsements.Carter, Buddy
Robinson, who is not collaborating with any of the contenders, stated that although Collins’ popularity beneath the Gold Dome is indicative of his political acumen and connections, it is still early and that even well-liked lawmakers may find it challenging to shift their political capital to a different candidate.
However, he noted, Collins is in an excellent position, at least right now.
“You would have to assume that Mike Collins is in the pole position,” he remarked. According to a poll conducted last week, he was roughly 20 points ahead of Derek Dooley and just above Buddy.
“He’s not ruling Dooley out either, especially with the governor’s support and his financial backing,” Robinson said, adding that Carter has his own connections and enough personal fortune to fight back.
They are investing some resources and offering air cover as Derek develops his plan, explains why the campaign is important to him, raises money, and travels the state meeting individuals. It’s crucial that Kemp spend money on his behalf while he’s taking care of all those other things because you can’t do everything at once.
Andra Gillespie, a political science professor at Emory University, compared Dooley to another recent Republican contender with football connections and suggested that her renowned last name would give her an advantage.
In my opinion, the Dooley campaign is an attempt to emulate Herschel Walker, win over primary voters who may be swayed by the name and their love of Georgia football, but ideally someone who has taken care of all of his kids and doesn’t say strange things while running for office.Dooley, Derek. (Senator photo courtesy of Derek Dooley)
After a campaign marred by scandals, such as admitting to having children he had not previously discussed and accusations of pressuring women he had dated to get abortions, Walker, a former UGA and NFL football legend, lost a 2022 runoff against Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Trump was upset with the governor for not supporting his unfounded allegations of election tampering in 2020 during that primary. However, in the 2022 primary, Trump-supported candidates dominated Georgia, with a few notable outliers.
The Trump effect
Walker may not have been able to secure a U.S. Senate seat with Trump’s endorsement alone, but the Republicans running for Ossoff’s seat are making every effort to tap the president.
According to Robinson, Carter even nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, but it is unlikely that he would receive a Senate nomination in exchange.
Since Buddy Carter was already in the race when Kemp and Trump were speaking, it is clear that Trump had no interest in supporting him. Trump could have said, “I’ll be with Buddy,” but he chose not to.
Trump has remained silent about which Republican he believes should be Georgia’s junior senator, but he has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in his run for the governor’s house.
Gillespie stated that she anticipates Trump will remain silent for the time being.
As is his custom, I believe Trump will wait for the outcome of this election until it is evident who Republicans want in the state before endorsing the front-runner and ratifying them, she added.In October 2024, President Donald Trump addresses a rally in Zebulon. (The Georgia Recorder/Ross Williams)
According to Robinson, Trump would ultimately choose Collins, ushering in a new phase of Trump and Kemp’s erratic relationship.
“I think that at some point, Trump will support Mike Collins,” Robinson stated. Additionally, Kemp is publicly backing Derek Dooley, so if that develops, there will be some sort of proxy fight between Kemp and Trump. The Kemp supporters are certain that, like the Trump endorsement, the Kemp endorsement will have a significant impact.
