Trump endorses Collins in Georgia Senate runoff

President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff on Sunday, giving the congressman a late boost days before voters choose the party’s nominee to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Collins faces former college football coach Derek Dooley in Tuesday’s runoff after no Republican candidate won a majority in last month’s primary. The contest will decide who takes on Ossoff in November in one of the most closely watched Senate races of the cycle.

“Mike Collins is a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR, who has been with us from the very beginning, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be your next United States Senator,” Trump wrote on Truth Social early Sunday.

Trump praised Collins as a “very successful Businessman” and said he is “always fighting tirelessly for our America First Agenda.” Collins, who owns a trucking business, has represented Georgia in the House since 2023. He finished first in the May 19 primary with about 40% of the vote, according to Al Jazeera; CBS News reported he received almost 41%.

Dooley, an attorney and political newcomer who coached football at the University of Tennessee, finished second with about 30%. He is the son of Vince Dooley, the legendary University of Georgia football coach. Rep. Buddy Carter placed a close third, according to Al Jazeera, and was eliminated.

Dooley responded Sunday by saying he has “great respect for President Trump” and looks forward to working with him. In a post on X, he said “the most important endorsement is that of the Georgia people” and argued that he is better positioned to defeat Ossoff.

The endorsement also places Trump opposite Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who has backed Dooley and put his state political operation behind him. Trump and Kemp clashed after the 2020 election, when Kemp resisted Trump’s efforts to intervene in Georgia’s presidential election results. Al Jazeera reported that Kemp has remained generally supportive of Trump but has split with him on several issues, including Trump’s claims that the 2020 election in Georgia was marred by fraud.

In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person,” before referring to the 2020 election results in Georgia.

Dooley has presented himself as a political outsider and pledged to work with Trump for Georgians, while Collins has emphasized his support for the president. Al Jazeera reported that Dooley has said he did not vote in 2016 or 2020, when Trump was on the ballot, and has maintained that Georgia’s election results were legitimate.

Republicans view Georgia as a major pickup opportunity. Ossoff is the only Democrat seeking reelection in a state Trump won in 2024, and defeating him is seen as one of the party’s best chances to gain a Senate seat. Republicans are seeking to hold their slim 53-seat majority in the 100-member chamber, while Democrats hope to win control of both the House and Senate in November.

The timing of Trump’s endorsement could limit its reach. Al Jazeera reported that the announcement came after early voting had already ended for the runoff.