Unverified Trump Endorsement Claim Shapes Georgia Senate Runoff

President Donald Trump endorsed Representative Mike Collins on Sunday in the Republican runoff for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, selecting the sitting congressman over former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. The endorsement came two days before voters decide the nominee to challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November.

Trump posted on Truth Social that Collins is a true friend, fighter and warrior who has stood with him from the beginning. Collins, who represents Georgia's 10th Congressional District, has built his campaign on consistent support for the president's agenda, including strict immigration enforcement. He finished first in the May primary with roughly 10 points more than Dooley in a field that also included Representative Buddy Carter.

Dooley, a lawyer and the son of longtime University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley, secured the backing of Governor Brian Kemp. Kemp's relationship with Trump has remained distant since the 2020 election cycle. Republican strategists in the state had viewed the runoff as competitive, but Trump's intervention has frequently shifted primary outcomes in recent contests.

Collins, the son of the late Representative Mac Collins, operates a trucking company with his wife. His record in Congress has emphasized border security measures and reduced federal spending. Polls conducted after the primary showed him ahead of Dooley in a head-to-head matchup.

The winner will face Ossoff, a first-term Democrat whom Republican leaders have identified as one of the more exposed incumbents on the ballot. Control of the Senate rests on a narrow margin, and Georgia ranks among the handful of states that could determine the chamber's majority.

Collins advanced from the initial primary without reaching the 50 percent threshold required for outright nomination. Dooley positioned himself as an alternative focused on electability, drawing on his coaching background and Kemp's organizational support. Turnout in the runoff will test whether Trump's influence among Republican voters outweighs the governor's standing within the state party.

The contest highlights divisions between candidates who have aligned closely with Trump's priorities and those who have cultivated relationships with other Republican officeholders. Collins has maintained that loyalty to the president's policy goals on trade, immigration and judicial appointments strengthens the party's position heading into the general election.