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The quest to find the one candidate that can beat Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., isn’t quite over yet, with a runoff between a political outsider and an experienced lawmaker teed up for next month.
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., and former college football coach Derek Dooley are headed to a runoff election on June 16 in a state of particular political consequence for either party hoping to keep or gain power in the Senate.
The contest comes after a bruising primary between Collins, Dooley, and Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and a battle that President Donald Trump has so far avoided.
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Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia, during a news conference following the weekly Senate Democrat policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 9, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
His endorsement, as in other races, could make or break either Collins’ or Dooley’s chances moving forward.
Dooley has embraced the outsider moniker, arguing that he would side with Trump in ways that benefit Georgians.
“As your Senator, I’ll never forget that you’re the boss and D.C. politicians need accountability,” Dooley said on X. “Term limits. Ban insider trading. End government shutdowns. I’ll fight to end politics as usual in Washington.”
Collins has heavily leaned into his MAGA bonafides in trying to court the president to back him in the race.
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“Georgia needs the right Republican to take on Jon Ossoff,” Collins said on X. “Someone who’s delivered, has the conservative record to prove it, and had President Trump’s back when it mattered most.”
But for Ossoff’s campaign, it doesn’t matter which opponent they face in November.
“Regardless of which Trump puppet makes it out of this messy and brutal GOP primary, they will be…
