Immediately after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced he would not run for the U.S. Senate next year, other potential Republican candidates released statements wishing him well and jockeyed to become the new preferred GOP choice in the race.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, the second-term lawmaker from Jackson, said he will do what he can to help Republicans defeat Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff. Like the others, Collins stopped short of declaring his intention to run for the seat.
“Republicans can absolutely win this Senate seat in Georgia, and I encourage all interested parties to fully commit and invest in the number one pick up opportunity in the country,” Collins wrote in a statement. “I will speak to President (Donald) Trump and his team and do whatever is necessary to ensure he has another vote in the Senate for the America First agenda.”
Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents southeast Georgia, has previously stated he would seek the Senate post if Kemp did not. But on Monday his statement was in line with the others expressing support for Trump and Kemp without declaring themselves a candidate.
“Georgians voted for Donald Trump overwhelmingly in November and deserve someone who is going to support him, and the will of the people, in the Senate,” Carter, R-St. Simons Island, wrote.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Insurance Commissioner John King, two other possible GOP Senate candidates, both released statements referencing their work alongside Kemp.
“Gov. Kemp is the best governor in America, and Georgia is better off because of his service,” King wrote on X.
Raffensperger said he was “proud to stand with Gov. Kemp in his decision and we look forward to see what he does next. Georgia is a better place for families and business because of the work of Gov. Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp.”
The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC controlled by Senate GOP Leader John Thune, issued a statement saying the group is focused on defeating Ossoff, even without Kemp as a candidate.
“With a deep bench of incredible Georgia leaders, Republicans will have a strong candidate in 2026 and SLF is committed to ensuring Ossoff’s accidental tenure in Washington is limited to one term,” Chairman Cory Gardner, a former Colorado senator, said.
Kemp was heavily recruited by Republican Party leaders aware that polling showed the governor had the best chance of defeating Ossoff in a general election. It is unclear if the party establishment will coalesce around one of the other potential candidates, but with Kemp declining to run there is likely to be a crowded and contentious primary.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reveled in the shuffling of chairs that Kemp’s announcement created for Republicans, calling it “yet another embarrassing Republican Senate recruitment failure as they face a building midterm backlash where every GOP candidate will be forced to answer for Trump’s harmful agenda.”
Some of Republicans’ recent Senate losses have been blamed on fielding poor candidates who don’t do well general elections, including Herschel Walker’s defeat against U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2022. The recruitment of Kemp reflected GOP leaders prioritizing competitiveness over loyalty to Trump’s MAGA brand.
Ossoff campaign manager Ellen Foster said in a statement that he is “well-prepared to defeat any challenger. As Republicans scramble in the aftermath, our campaign will continue to build insurmountable momentum needed to win next November.”
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