Trump and Kemp exchange endorsements in Georgia's twin runoffs, fracturing GOP but uniting behind one candidate

Trump and Kemp on opposite sides in the Senate

President Trump weighed in on Georgia's Senate runoff early Sunday, backing second-term congressman Mike Collins over former football coach Derek Dooley. "Mike Collins is a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR, who has been with us from the very beginning," Trump wrote on Truth Social. The endorsement pits Trump against Gov. Brian Kemp, who has supported Dooley. Kemp, a popular Republican in the state, has clashed with Trump in the past over the 2020 election results, and his preferred candidate now faces a Trump-backed rival in a race that will determine who challenges Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November.

Mike Collins is a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR, who has been with us from the very beginning.

Collins led the May 19 primary with roughly 40 percent of the vote, while Dooley took about 30 percent. A third candidate, Buddy Carter, narrowly missed the runoff. Collins has aligned himself closely with Trump since his first congressional run and sponsored the Laken Riley Act. Dooley, meanwhile, has campaigned as a political outsider but faced scrutiny for not voting in 2016 or 2020, when Trump was on the ballot.

A rare agreement in the governor's race

Hours earlier, Gov. Kemp endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the Republican gubernatorial runoff. Jones, who led the primary with 38 percent, faces businessman Rick Jackson, who won 32 percent. Kemp's endorsement came in a post on X, calling Jones "a strong, trusted ally" and emphasizing his record as a state senator and lieutenant governor. Crucially, Trump had also signaled support for Jones, creating an unusual moment of alignment between the two power brokers. The governor's endorsement is a boost for Jones, but Jackson has poured $100 million of his own money into the race and polls show a volatile contest.

Burt knows how to get things done as governor because that's what he has done as a state senator and as your Lt. Governor.

Candidates and controversies

Derek Dooley responded to Trump's endorsement by arguing that Georgia voters "want a political outsider, not typical D.C. politicians like Mike Collins." Collins, a former trucking executive and son of a former congressman, faces an ethics investigation over allegations that his then-chief of staff misused taxpayer funds. He has also drawn criticism for promoting conspiracy theories, including the unfounded claim that former President Joe Biden ordered the 2024 assassination attempt against Trump.

Georgia voters want a political outsider, not typical D.C. politicians like Mike Collins.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, the Democratic incumbent, dismissed both Republican Senate candidates as "Trump puppets" and has amassed a large campaign war chest for the general election. In the governor's race, Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, awaits the winner.

Polling and spending

The Senate runoff has become a test of Trump's political influence, while the governor's race has shattered spending records thanks to Jackson's self-funding. A recent Cygnal Political poll showed Jackson leading Jones by 12 points, but a CivicLens Research survey gave Jones a 10-point advantage. No public polling is available for the Senate runoff, but Collins' allies argue the president's endorsement could energize the MAGA base, even though early voting concluded before the announcement.

Midterm stakes

Republicans view Georgia as their best opportunity to flip a Senate seat, given Ossoff's narrow 2021 victory and the state's shift toward Trump in 2024. The GOP holds a 53-47 majority and losing the seat would jeopardize their control. The outcome of Tuesday's runoffs will clarify whether Trump or Kemp exerts greater influence within the party, and both camps are watching closely as national spending and attention intensify.