Trump Endorses Collins in Georgia Senate Runoff Two Days Before Election
President Trump’s surprise early morning endorsement of Mike Collins comes just two days before Georgia’s crucial Republican Senate runoff.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA — President Donald Trump endorsed Congressman Mike Collins in the Republican runoff for Georgia’s U.S. Senate nomination, posting his backing on social media just before 1 a.m. Sunday on his 80th birthday.
“Mike Collins is a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR, who has been with us from the very beginning, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be your next United States Senator,” Trump wrote in the lengthy social media post, according to the Georgia Recorder.
The endorsement comes just two days before Tuesday’s runoff election between Collins and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. Early voting has already concluded in the contest.
High-Stakes Race for Senate Seat
The winner will face Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November’s general election. Ossoff is the only sitting Democratic senator running for reelection this year in a state Trump won in 2024, making him a top target for national Republicans.
In his endorsement, Trump attempted to portray Dooley as an outsider candidate. “I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person. Unfortunately, he has lived outside of Georgia for most of his life, didn’t vote in 2020 or 2016, and said that I lost Georgia in 2020,” Trump wrote.
Kemp-Trump Proxy Battle
Dooley entered the race with the support of Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia’s popular term-limited governor who decided against running for the Senate seat himself. Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp have made frequent appearances at Dooley’s campaign stops around the state.
Political observers are likely to view the runoff as a proxy war between Trump and Kemp, who have clashed since the aftermath of the 2020 election when Kemp refused to help overturn Trump’s loss in Georgia.
The timing of Trump’s endorsement raises questions about its potential impact, coming so close to election day. Georgia Republicans demonstrated in 2022 that Trump endorsements don’t guarantee victory when they overwhelmingly rejected his preferred candidate in that year’s gubernatorial primary.
National Implications
The race carries significant national implications as Republicans seek to expand their influence in the Senate. With Ossoff being one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in a state that has recently become competitive, the outcome of Tuesday’s Republican runoff could shape the broader battle for Senate control.
Collins, who represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, has positioned himself as a loyal Trump ally throughout his time in Congress. His campaign has emphasized his early support for the president and alignment with the Trump agenda.
Dooley, despite lacking Trump’s endorsement, has leveraged Kemp’s popularity and gubernatorial network to build support across the state. The former Tennessee football coach has worked to establish his Georgia credentials while appealing to voters who may prefer a different approach than Trump-style politics.
