Derek Dooley delivers remarks at an event on Aug. 21, 2025, in Peachtree City, Georgia. | Rep. Mike Collins speaks at an event on Aug. 21, 2025, in Peachtree City, Georgia.Megan Varner/Getty Images
Georgia Congressman Mike Collins and prior football head coach Derek Dooley are proceeding to a second round in the contest to become the Republican U.S. Senate nominee, according to ABC News projections, in what the GOP considers a notable chance to gain ground as it aims to preserve its control in the Senate.
The victor will challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, whom Democrats regard as a promising figure in their party and Republicans see as the most susceptible incumbent Democrat in the Senate.
Derek Dooley speaks at an event on Aug. 21, 2025, in Peachtree City, Georgia. | Rep. Mike Collins speaks at an event on Aug. 21, 2025, in Peachtree City, Georgia.Megan Varner/Getty Images
The GOP Senate primary was mainly a three-way contention among Collins, Dooley (the offspring of renowned University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley), and Congressman Buddy Carter. Ex-President Donald Trump did not offer an endorsement in the contest.
Besides the Senate contest, there were also fiercely contested Republican and Democratic primaries for Georgia governor to replace the term-limited GOP Governor Brian Kemp.
Georgia Capitol building in Atlanta.STOCK PHOTO/Adobe Stock
GOP primary for governor advances to runoff
In the Republican primary for governor, Trump-backed Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and affluent entrepreneur Rick Jackson will proceed to a June 16 runoff in the Republican primary, ABC News projects.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones speaks during a primary election night watch party, May 19, 2026, in Jackson, Ga.Mike Stewart/AP Photo
The Republican primary for Georgia governor was characterized by in excess of $100 million in expenses, and contentious negative advertisements between the two leading contenders in the race, which took over Georgia’s broadcast channels. According to AdImpact, the Georgia primary for governor was the third-most costly gubernatorial primary on record. This election is a critical assessment of Trump’s political clout in Georgia. The president conducted a telephone rally earlier in the month for Jones, a longtime Trump supporter.
Despite the president’s backing and his prominent role as the current lieutenant governor, Jones couldn’t surpass Jackson, who has expended more than $80 million of his personal wealth in the campaign, promoting his narrative of ascending from poverty to affluence and airing negative ads that disparaged Jones.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson prepares to speak during a primary election night party, May 19, 2026, in Atlanta.Brynn Anderson/AP Photo
Jones, the successor to his family's commercial empire, dedicated tens of millions of dollars on advertisements, promptly attacking Jackson.
Also competing for the Republican designation but unable to move forward were Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who garnered nationwide recognition for disputing Trump's allegations of electoral irregularities in 2020.
Former Atlanta mayor anticipated to secure Dem nomination, circumventing runoff
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was forecasted to win the Democratic designation for governor, preventing a runoff.
Gubernatorial candidate and former mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, speaks to supporters and members of the media while attending a phone booth event on Election Day May 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. Many positions are on the ballot, including the United States Senate, Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General.Megan Varner/Getty Images
Bottoms entered the race with the highest degree of recognition and possessed prestigious endorsements. Bottoms, who was employed within the Biden administration as the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, was endorsed by former President Joe Biden — his initial endorsement in the 2026 midterm timeframe.
Other contenders encompassed former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, and former Georgia state Senator Jason Esteves.
Despite Democratic fervor fueled by discontent with Trump’s policies and the fiscal ramifications of the conflict in Iran, Bottoms may not experience an effortless path forward.
A Democrat has not secured the governorship of Georgia since 1998.
The Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which narrowed the Voting Rights Act and cleared the way for new Republican-led redistricting possibilities, has amplified the importance of the governor race. Republicans in Georgia have already expressed their intent to formulate new maps according to the Callais verdict, and a Democrat in the governor’s seat could signify the capacity to reject any maps approved by a GOP-controlled state legislature.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com