Rep. Mike Collins, a conservative who had aligned himself with the “Make America Great Again” movement, won the Georgia Senate primary runoff on Tuesday, backed by President Donald Trump. Collins defeated former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who was endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Trump’s Endorsement Proves Potent

Trump’s endorsement of Collins came in the final days of the runoff, and the president made clear that he was still smarting over Kemp’s refusal to back his claims of widespread fraud in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. Collins’ win sets the stage for a closely watched Senate race against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender.

Ossoff is sitting on $32 million in campaign funds, a significant head start over Collins. However, Collins is determined to win, telling supporters that his mission is to put a Republican in the Senate seat and get rid of Ossoff in November.

Georgia Governor’s Race

In the Georgia governor’s race, self-funding businessman Rick Jackson defeated the candidate endorsed by both Trump and Kemp, Lt. Gov. Jones. Jackson spent over $91 million on television advertising and won with stronger support from urban and suburban counties.

Jackson will face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor and senior adviser in the Biden administration, in the general election. The outcome of the governor’s race could depend on how many Georgia voters split their tickets, selecting one party’s nominee in the governor’s race and the other in the Senate contest.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.