Collins, Dooley Force June 16 Georgia Runoff as Ossoff Leads Both in Polls
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 20
Collins, Dooley Force June 16 Georgia Runoff as Ossoff Leads Both in Polls
20 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 20
Mike Collins and Derek Dooley advanced to a June 16 Republican runoff in Georgia after no candidate cleared 50%, knocking out Representative Buddy Carter; Collins led 40.5% to 30% with 80% of votes counted.
The result extends a bitter GOP fight between Collins, a Trump-aligned House member, and Dooley, a political newcomer backed by Governor Brian Kemp after Kemp declined to run himself.
Jon Ossoff enters the general-election picture with an edge: the Democratic senator has been polling ahead of both Republicans despite Georgia voting nearly 51% for Trump in 2024.
That advantage matters beyond Georgia because Republicans hold the Senate 53-47, and Ossoff's seat is one of Democrats' few realistic paths to regaining control.
Is Governor Kemp's multi-million dollar gamble on an outsider a test of his own political influence?
Can the runoff winner overcome a financial disadvantage against an opponent with a $32 million war chest?