# Georgia GOP Senate Primary Heads to Runoff Between Collins, Dooley  
**Published:** 2026-05-20T16:04:31.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/20/repub/georgia-u-s-senate-race-continues-on-with-collins-dooley-runoff-on-gop-side/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/georgia-gop-senate-primary-heads-to-runoff-between-collins-dooley

Georgia's Republican Senate primary will head to a runoff on June 16 after neither candidate reached the 50% threshold required by state law. [According to reporting from the Nebraska Examiner via the Georgia Recorder](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/20/repub/georgia-u-s-senate-race-continues-on-with-collins-dooley-runoff-on-gop-side/), Congressman Mike Collins finished first with 41% of the vote, while former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley secured 30% and Congressman Buddy Carter received 25%.

The winner of the June runoff will face Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November's general election. Ossoff is the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state won by President Donald Trump in 2024, making the seat a top priority for both parties.

Collins, a Jackson, Georgia resident and founder of a trucking company who was first elected to Congress in 2022, positioned himself as an outsider despite being an incumbent. He characterized Dooley as backed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and criticized what he called coastal liberal donors supporting his rival. Collins has championed the Laken Riley Act, which Trump signed as his first bill in his second term, expanding detention requirements for immigrants charged with property crimes.

The House Ethics Committee is [investigating Collins and his chief of staff](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/11/21/us-rep-mike-collins-under-house-ethics-committee-investigation/) over allegations they misused government funds to pay a woman romantically linked to the aide as an intern despite her performing no actual work. Collins has dismissed the accusations as baseless political attacks.

Dooley, backed by Governor Kemp who declined to run for Senate himself, emphasized his status as a political outsider. The former football coach said he gained momentum despite starting with zero name recognition ten months ago. "We are talking about a midterm election where a Republican has the White House, so we are going to have the wind blowing against us," noted Jason Shepherd, a former Cobb County GOP chairman who supported Dooley, according to [NBC News coverage](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/georgia-senate-republican-primary-winners-election-race-ossoff-rcna345008).

Democratic groups have already begun mobilizing. Senate Majority PAC announced plans to spend $20 million supporting Ossoff through television advertising. Ossoff has raised $31 million as of his most recent filing and remains the top fundraiser among Senate candidates nationwide in 2026.

Republicans initially viewed the Georgia seat as their best pickup opportunity for the 2026 midterms given Trump's narrow victory in the state. However, the contentious primary has raised concerns among party operatives about a potentially weakened nominee heading into the general election.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/20/repub/georgia-u-s-senate-race-continues-on-with-collins-dooley-runoff-on-gop-side/)
- [House Ethics Committee investigation into Collins' fund usage](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/11/21/us-rep-mike-collins-under-house-ethics-committee-investigation/)
- [NBC News reporting on candidate positions and Republican concerns](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/georgia-senate-republican-primary-winners-election-race-ossoff-rcna345008)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/20/repub/georgia-u-s-senate-race-continues-on-with-collins-dooley-runoff-on-gop-side/.