Georgia Runoffs Test Brian Kemp's Clout Against Trump's Late Senate Endorsement and $100 Million Governor's Race
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 16
Georgia Runoffs Test Brian Kemp's Clout Against Trump's Late Senate Endorsement and $100 Million Governor's Race
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 16
Summary
Tuesday’s Georgia runoffs will gauge whether Brian Kemp can carry Derek Dooley past Trump-endorsed Rep. Mike Collins in the Senate race and help Burt Jones in the governor’s contest.
Trump endorsed Collins only on Sunday, after early voting had closed, turning the Senate runoff into a direct test of Kemp’s influence against MAGA-aligned groups already backing Collins.
Kemp had spent months and $2 million through an allied PAC boosting Dooley, who climbed from consistent third place to make the runoff on metro Atlanta strength.
In the governor’s race, Kemp and Trump are aligned behind Jones, but he still faces billionaire Rick Jackson, whose campaign spending has topped $100 million and reshaped the field.
The results could shape Kemp’s standing inside the Georgia GOP and nationally as Republicans weigh his potential 2028 role in a battleground state where his approval is near 60%.