Collins wins Georgia Senate runoff, to challenge Ossoff

Republican Rep. Mike Collins on Tuesday defeated Derek Dooley and will face off against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in November.

Why it matters: President Trump endorsed Collins after the May 19 primary. He now faces a well-funded Democratic incumbent who's won a statewide campaign in Georgia before.

• Republicans view the Georgia Democrat's seat as key to maintaining control of the U.S. Senate.

Zoom in: Collins won roughly 55% of the vote, according to preliminary results from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office.

• The AP called the race for Collins just after 8:30pm with 52% of the vote counted.
• Dooley later conceded to Collins, the AP reported. "He ran a tough campaign, he got out early and we just never could catch him."

Between the lines: The runoff became one of the clearest tests yet of the competing arguments shaping the Republican Party in Georgia and nationally: embrace MAGA or pursue an alternative path to victory.

• Collins, a trucking company owner who represents a red district between Atlanta and Augusta, ran as a Trump loyalist who made immigration enforcement a central focus of his campaign.
• Kemp, a popular swing-state governor rounding out his second and final term in office, was a Dooley campaign trail fixture.

Follow the money: Collins raised $4.3 million up to the most recent disclosure deadline, according to Open Secrets.

• By comparison, Ossoff has raised more than $57 million and built one of the Senate's strongest campaign war chests.

What they're saying: In his victory speech Tuesday night, Collins thanked Dooley for running a "spirited campaign" and Kemp for "his leadership and his friendship over the years."

• "We all know what the mission is here," Collins said.
• On X, Ossoff slammed Collins as an "extremist" and attacked his voting record on issues like the Iran conflict.

What's next: The general election is Nov. 3.