They should keep that up.
In the contested political terrain of Georgia, Republicans face a June 16 runoff that asks a deeper question than mere electability: whether a party divided between institutional loyalty and outsider disruption can find common cause against a Democratic incumbent who has already proven he can win where Democrats are not supposed to. The contest between Representative Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley is, at its core, a referendum on what the Republican Party believes it is — and what it fears it has become. History suggests that parties at war with themselves rarely win the battles that matter most.
- A bruising three-way primary left no clear winner, forcing Georgia Republicans into a June 16 runoff with Senate control potentially hanging in the balance.
- The absence of Trump's endorsement has created a vacuum both Collins and Dooley are racing to fill, turning the runoff into an audition for the former president's favor.
- Governor Kemp's endorsement of Dooley sets up a proxy clash with Trump, reopening wounds from 2020 that the party has never fully closed.
- Ossoff's team is watching the Republican infighting with undisguised satisfaction, betting that a damaged nominee will struggle to unseat the only Democratic Senate incumbent running in a Trump-won state.
- Senator Warnock, twice a survivor of Trump-backed challengers in Georgia, offered Republicans a sardonic piece of advice: the division is doing Democrats' work for them.
Georgia Republicans will head back to the polls on June 16 to settle a fractious primary that produced no outright winner. The runoff pits Representative Mike Collins, a sitting congressman with a conservative voting record, against Derek Dooley, a former college football coach who has never held political office and is running explicitly as an outsider.
The contest emerged from a three-way race that also included Representative Buddy Carter, and its defining absence was Donald Trump's endorsement — a silence both finalists are now scrambling to fill. Dooley has campaigned on term limits, banning insider trading, and ending government shutdowns, casting himself as the antidote to a broken Washington. Collins has countered by emphasizing his MAGA credentials and his record of loyalty to Trump when it counted.
Governor Brian Kemp, who resisted pressure to run for Senate himself, has endorsed Dooley — a move that sets up a potential proxy war between Kemp and Trump, two figures whose relationship has been strained since 2020. Should Trump weigh in before June 16, the runoff could become a battleground for the soul of the Georgia GOP.
For Democrats, the chaos is a gift. Ossoff's campaign has characterized both Republicans as damaged by the primary and tethered to Trump, projecting confidence despite the incumbent's unusual position as the only Democratic Senate incumbent seeking reelection in a state Trump carried in 2024. Senator Warnock, who has twice defeated Trump-backed opponents in Georgia, put it simply: the infighting is working in Democrats' favor. Whether Republicans can resolve their divisions before November remains the central question of this race.
Georgia Republicans will return to the polls on June 16 to settle a question that has divided the party: which candidate can actually beat Senator Jon Ossoff. The answer will come down to a runoff between Representative Mike Collins, a sitting congressman with a record of conservative votes, and Derek Dooley, a former college football coach with no political experience who has positioned himself as an outsider ready to upend Washington.
The runoff emerged from a bruising three-way primary that also included Representative Buddy Carter. What made the contest particularly notable was the absence of Donald Trump's endorsement—a factor that could prove decisive in determining which Republican advances to face Ossoff in November. In a state where Senate races have not broken the GOP's way in recent cycles, both candidates are now competing intensely for the former president's backing.
Dooley has built his campaign around the outsider pitch, arguing that Washington politicians have forgotten who they work for. On social media, he pledged to push for term limits, ban insider trading, and end government shutdowns—framing himself as the antidote to politics as usual. Collins, meanwhile, has leaned heavily into his MAGA credentials, reminding voters of his conservative record and his loyalty to Trump when it mattered. The contrast is stark: one candidate promises to shake up the system; the other promises to deliver for the president.
Governor Brian Kemp, who declined to run for Senate himself despite heavy Republican pressure, has already weighed in by endorsing Dooley. Kemp sees in the former coach a chance to break the GOP's recent Senate losing streak in Georgia and views his lack of political experience as an asset rather than a liability. This endorsement sets up a potential proxy battle between Kemp and Trump, two figures who have sparred since the 2020 election. Should Trump decide to enter the race, Dooley and Collins would become surrogates in a larger conflict within the Republican Party.
Ossoff's campaign has dismissed the Republican infighting as a sign of weakness. A campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital that regardless of which Republican emerges from the runoff, they will be damaged goods—bruised by the primary and forever linked to Trump. The Democratic incumbent's team projects confidence, pointing to Ossoff's track record of winning tough races and his ability to build momentum.
That confidence is not unfounded. Ossoff is the only Democratic Senate incumbent running for reelection in a state that Trump won in 2024, a position that would normally spell trouble. Yet Democrats believe the Republican primary chaos and Ossoff's proven ability to win in hostile terrain give them a genuine path to victory. Senator Raphael Warnock, who has himself won two elections in Georgia against Trump-backed opponents, offered a wry observation to Republicans as voting concluded: keep up the infighting. It is working in Democrats' favor.
The June 16 runoff will determine not just who challenges Ossoff, but whether the Republican Party can present a unified front in a race that could shift control of the Senate. For now, that unity remains elusive.
Citações Notáveis
As your Senator, I'll never forget that you're the boss and D.C. politicians need accountability. Term limits. Ban insider trading. End government shutdowns.— Derek Dooley, on his outsider platform
I want to win our Senate seat back. We haven't done so well in U.S. Senate races here in the state of Georgia in the last several cycles, and we have one more opportunity to try to get one of our Senate seats back.— Gov. Brian Kemp, explaining his endorsement of Dooley
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Trump's endorsement matter so much in a Georgia runoff that won't happen until June?
Because in Republican primaries right now, Trump's word carries enormous weight with voters. Whichever candidate he backs will likely get a significant boost in turnout and enthusiasm. In a runoff where margins can be tight, that's often the difference.
So Dooley is betting he can win without Trump's endorsement by being the anti-establishment guy?
Partly. Dooley is banking on the idea that voters are hungry for someone who hasn't spent decades in Washington. But he also knows that if Trump endorses Collins, he'll need to find another lane—maybe by arguing that outsiders are what the state actually needs.
Kemp backing Dooley seems like a direct challenge to Trump. Is that what's happening?
It could become that. Kemp and Trump have real tension dating back to 2020. By endorsing Dooley, Kemp is signaling that he thinks an outsider can win where establishment Republicans haven't. If Trump then backs Collins, you've got a genuine split in the Georgia GOP.
What does Ossoff gain from all this Republican chaos?
Time and credibility. Every day Republicans spend fighting each other is a day Ossoff's campaign is building infrastructure, raising money, and defining himself on his own terms. And when the primary gets ugly—which it has—it makes the eventual Republican nominee look weakened.
Is Ossoff actually vulnerable, though? He's the only Democratic incumbent in a Trump state.
On paper, yes. But he's won twice already in Georgia, which is harder than it sounds. Democrats think his track record plus Republican infighting gives him a real shot at holding the seat.
What happens if Trump stays silent through June 16?
Then both candidates will claim they have his implicit support, and the race becomes about who can convince voters they're the true Trump candidate. That's actually messier for Republicans than Trump just picking one.