Trump backs Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia Senate runoff

Former President Donald Trump announced his endorsement of Rep. Mike Collins ahead of Tuesday's Georgia Senate primary runoff. Collins, a two-term congressman, finished first in the May 19 primary with 40% of the vote, while former football coach Derek Dooley placed second with 30%.

Both candidates sought Trump's support, but Georgia Republicans expected the former president to favor Collins, who has positioned himself as a strong ally of Trump. Collins highlighted his authorship of the Laken Riley Act, an immigration enforcement bill that was the first signed into law by Trump in his second term.

Collins' campaign released a television ad featuring his statement, “I stand with President Trump,” alongside footage of Trump describing Collins as “fantastic.” The campaign also hired several of Trump's senior aides, according to reporting.

Dooley is backed by Governor Brian Kemp, who has had public disagreements with Trump over the 2020 election claims. Kemp, whose family has deep ties to the University of Georgia football program, has appeared with Dooley on the campaign trail and in advertisements that portray Dooley as an outsider who will “work with President Trump and always put Georgia first.”

Advertising data show Dooley has outspent Collins on radio and television since the primary, though Collins argues his grassroots support offsets the disparity. The runoff winner will challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state Trump carried in 2024.

"Mike has to beat a Republican opponent before he gets to Ossoff," Trump wrote in a social-media post endorsing Collins. "I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person."

Collins, whose father previously served in Congress, has faced controversy, including the recent dismissal of a longtime staffer after a social-media post referencing a GOP consultant linked to a high-profile sexual-assault allegation. The staffer was also involved in a House Ethics Committee inquiry into the use of congressional funds, which Collins has called “bogus.”