Republicans are preparing for a potential primary to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff next year. Former football coach Derek Dooley and Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins have all launched bids for the Republican nomination. Dooley, seen as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s preferred candidate, has leaned into his football background and is seen as a political outsider. Carter has a financial edge, while Collins has started to establish himself as a serious candidate, organizing a 159-county operation across the state.
Republicans are closely monitoring third-quarter fundraising reports for the upcoming race between Georgia Congressman Carter, former football coach Dooley, and former White House aide Kelly Loeffler. Carter and Collins have met with the White House about the race, while Collins’s campaign has mocked Dooley. Republicans are eager to avoid a clash between Trump and Kemp, who have had a complicated relationship since Trump flouted Trump’s ask to overturn the 2020 election results in his state. There is a split between some members of the party over who should take the lead on the search for the best consensus candidate.
