Georgia Rep. Mike Collins’ victory over Kemp-backed Derek Dooley on Tuesday capped a contentious final stretch of Georgia’s GOP Senate runoff that highlighted a rare split between Trump and the state’s Republican governor.
NBC News called the race at around 8:15 p.m., and with just over half the vote counted, Collins led Dooley 54.7% to 45.3%.
Gov. Brian Kemp had backed and campaigned alongside Dooley throughout the race, but Trump weighed in at the eleventh hour with a surprise endorsement of Collins, setting up a high-profile proxy battle between two of the state’s most influential Republican figures. (RELATED: Trump Makes Eleventh-Hour Endorsement Of Rep Mike Collins In Crucial GOP Runoff For Senate)
Asked about Trump’s decision at a Monday press conference, Dooley downplayed its significance.
“My position has not changed since the day I got into this race,” Dooley said. “I said I’d be honored to have everybody’s endorsement, but the most important endorsement I’ve been working toward every single day is that of the people of Georgia, because that’s what matters most. And that’s what I’m going to continue to focus on for these next 24 hours.”
Trump announced his support for Collins in a Truth Social post Sunday, calling the congressman “MAGA” Mike Collins and praising him as a “Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning.”
The president also took aim at Dooley.
Just cast our votes for @DerekDooleyGA and @burtjonesforga! They’ll defeat Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms in November, but they need your vote today.
Polls are open until 7pm and you can find your polling place at https://t.co/nYiViNfMVk pic.twitter.com/5Odd9yMEfz
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) June 16, 2026
“But first things first! Mike has to beat a Republican Opponent before he gets to Ossoff. I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person,” Trump wrote. “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 when, in actuality, the facts have now proven that I won by a lot!”
Less than 24 hours before polls opened, Kemp reaffirmed his support for Dooley, posting a photo with the former football coach and urging Republicans to “vote for Derek” on Tuesday.
When asked about Trump’s endorsement, Kemp said he had previously told the president that Dooley was the strongest Republican to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
“Well, look, I was very clear with the president that I thought we needed a political outsider in this race, the best political outsider was Derek Dooley to beat Jon Ossoff,” Kemp said. “Obviously he disagreed, and the voters are going to weigh in tomorrow to settle that score.”
The closing days of the runoff were also marked by controversy surrounding Collins’ campaign. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Georgia Rep. Mike Collins Busted Padding Website With Fake Endorsements)
The Daily Caller reported that several Georgia sheriffs, commissioners and local officials appeared on both Collins’ and Dooley’s endorsement lists, with some suggesting the Collins campaign had inflated its roster of supporters.
Collins also faced criticism after his campaign account mocked the husband of an alleged rape victim. After political consultant Luke Thompson posted polling data showing Collins leading Dooley, the campaign account replied, “Matt Laurer’s sloppy seconds take an L.” (RELATED: GOP Senate Candidate’s Team Mocks Alleged Matt Lauer Rape Victim As ‘Sloppy Seconds’)
Thompson is married to Brooke Nevils, the former NBC employee who accused Matt Lauer of rape and later said she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder following the alleged assault. The post was later deleted.
Collins will face Ossoff on November 3rd in the Georgia Senate election.
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