The battle to challenge Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia's Senate race has burst into the open with attack ads, competing endorsements, and sharp accusations about ethics violations. Three Republicans are fighting for the nomination in a primary that insiders expect will produce a June runoff, as no candidate appears positioned to win outright on May 19.
Rep. Buddy Carter fired the first major salvo this week, spending $2 million to air a new television ad across the state that targets fellow Rep. Mike Collins. The ad hammers Collins over a federal ethics investigation into allegations that he misused congressional funds by paying his former chief of staff for campaign work and employing that aide's girlfriend despite no office duties. "While Trump and Buddy Carter were protecting our wallets, Mike Collins was abusing them," the narrator says in the spot.
The Office of Congressional Conduct issued a report last year stating there is "substantial reason to believe" Collins used congressional resources improperly. Collins spokesman Corbin Keown shot back in a statement, calling Carter's ad "a sad attempt to salvage one of the worst return on investment campaigns Georgia's ever seen" and accusing Carter of running a campaign that only benefits "his Yankee consultants and Jon Ossoff."
Carter has dominated the airwaves so far, spending $5.5 million on ads through the primary, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact. That spending advantage has given him visibility, though not necessarily momentum. Carter's campaign account holds $3.7 million, boosted by a $3 million personal loan.
Derek Dooley, a former University of Tennessee football coach, is mounting a different kind of challenge. He's airing his first television spots as a "conservative outsider," drawing on his three decades of coaching experience to criticize what he calls "me first" politicians in Washington. "As your senator, I'll never forget that you're the boss," Dooley says in his pitch to voters.
Dooley has powerful backing that doesn't appear in his ads. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has endorsed him and deployed his super PAC, Hardworking Americans Inc., to spend $813,000 on advertising. Kemp has campaigned alongside Dooley across the state. Despite the help, both men acknowledge their real challenge is not the other Republican candidates.
"The biggest competition right now is undecided, because I think over half the voters have not engaged or made a decision on this election," Dooley said at a campaign stop in Marietta. Kemp agreed, noting that 40 to 50 percent of voters in polls had not yet weighed in on the race. That suggests a massive opening for any candidate who can break through the noise.
Collins, meanwhile, is touting his recent fundraising surge. He raised $1 million in the first quarter of the year, surpassing both Dooley's $663,000 and Carter's $470,000. His campaign manager Josh Siegel argued that Collins alone has "succeeded in building a machine ready to deliver victory in November." Collins' ad spending has been modest at $170,000, mostly focused on digital platforms.
One major wild card remains: President Donald Trump has not endorsed anyone in the Republican primary. All three candidates are competing for his favor, though sources close to the race say Trump and his team appear unlikely to pick a favorite. Kemp said he has spoken with Trump's political staff, adding, "They also know that [Dooley's] the one that's got the momentum in the race right now."
The stakes are significant. The Republican winner will take on Ossoff, who is considered a top GOP target as the party seeks to expand its 53-47 Senate majority. Ossoff is the only Democratic senator running for re-election in a state Trump won by 2 points in 2024. He has built a formidable war chest with $31.7 million in his campaign account, dwarfing all three Republican candidates combined.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "This primary is shaping up as a genuine three-way toss-up where name recognition and Trump's blessing could matter far less than whether any candidate can actually reach the voters still sitting on the sidelines."
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