Congressman will face former football coach in Georgia’s GOP Senate runoff

The race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Georgia is heading to a June 16 runoff. Neither Derek Dooley nor Rep. Mike Collins managed to secure the 50% threshold needed to win outright in Tuesday’s primary.

Collins, 58, currently represents a district east of Atlanta, while Dooley, 57, a lawyer and former football coach, is making his first foray into political office. Representative Buddy Carter, 68, failed to qualify for the upcoming runoff contest. The eventual winner will square off against incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, 39, in November.

The Battle for the Senate

Ossoff remains the only Democratic senator nationwide facing reelection in a state carried by Donald Trump in 2024. Republicans view the seat as a prime target in their efforts to secure a Senate majority. While Ossoff faced no opposition in his primary, he has centered his platform on combating political corruption.

The Republican primary has been heavily influenced by a focus on loyalty to the former president. Collins, who has been challenged by Carter over a House ethics complaint—which the Office of Congressional Conduct has referred to the House Ethics Committee—firmly denies any wrongdoing. Collins has also leaned into his sponsorship of the Laken Riley Act, a 2025 law requiring the detention of immigrants charged with specific crimes, as a cornerstone of his campaign.

Gubernatorial and Congressional Updates

In a significant move for state politics, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms secured the Democratic nomination for governor. Bottoms, who previously served in the Biden administration, is looking to end her party's 24-year drought in the gubernatorial office. She has campaigned on voting rights, housing, and education. Despite her surprise decision not to seek reelection as mayor, she describes herself as battle-tested.

On the Republican side of the governor's race, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare billionaire Rick Jackson will face off in a June 16 runoff. Trump has endorsed Jones, hoping to reassert his influence in the state after previous setbacks in 2022.

Elsewhere, Jasmine Clark won the Democratic nomination for Georgia’s 13th Congressional District following the April death of Rep. David Scott. In other House races, Republican incumbent Andrew Clyde retained his seat in the 9th District, while judicial elections saw mixed results as the state Judicial Qualifications Commission raised concerns regarding the conduct of Democratic-backed candidates Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan.