Georgia Republicans are pressing for President Trump to support a candidate in their crucial Senate primary, hoping his endorsement doesn’t come too late.
Some GOP strategists and officials express concern that President Trump might delay his endorsement for a preferred Republican contender until the last possible moment. While his last-minute backing benefited Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was likely leading in Texas, it didn’t help Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), who lost his gubernatorial bid just four days after receiving Trump’s endorsement.
With early voting for Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff approaching in less than two weeks, some Republicans warn that the window for Trump to influence the race is closing. Rep. Mike Collins, a staunch Trump supporter, and former college football coach Derek Dooley, have intensified their efforts to gain Trump’s endorsement following last month’s primary.
Casey Cagle, a former Georgia lieutenant governor supporting Collins, stated, “The window is starting to close. Candidates need to allocate time and resources to ensure people are aware of the endorsement.”
This looming deadline fuels speculation about when Trump might make his move in the race.
“I wouldn’t want Trump to get in at the last minute down here. What happened in Iowa could happen in Georgia next and continue to ruin the president’s win streak,” commented a person involved in the Georgia Senate race, who, like others in the article, spoke anonymously to discuss the runoff’s dynamics.
Republicans are eager for Trump to help unify their party behind either Collins or Dooley as they face a tough challenge against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who is widely regarded as a strong opponent. Ossoff, who holds a comfortable lead in public polls, has amassed a substantial campaign fund and avoided a contentious primary, setting the stage for a smooth general election run. This urgency makes consolidating Republican support behind one candidate crucial, and a Trump endorsement is seen as the best way to clear the conservative field.
Trump appears to be considering his options, even as both candidates have reached out to the White House early in the runoff. Collins reportedly spoke with several Trump allies, while Dooley’s campaign maintained contact with the White House, according to sources familiar with their outreach efforts.
According to a senior national Republican official, Trump’s endorsement is under “active consideration.” Following the May 19 primary, Trump contacted Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, running for Georgia governor, to gauge the race’s situation, according to a source familiar with the conversation.
The White House deferred comments to the RNC, which stated they are on the offensive in Georgia, criticizing Ossoff and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms when asked if Trump would endorse ahead of the GOP runoff.
RNC spokeswoman Emma Hall commented, “Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms are running as a united ticket, fully supporting each other’s records of defunding the police, coddling criminals, welcoming illegals, and advancing the failed Biden-Harris agenda. Republicans are on offense to save Georgia from these radical lunatics and continue delivering on President Trump’s historic agenda.”
Georgia Republicans hope for Trump’s involvement but don’t want a repeat of Feenstra’s situation, acknowledging Georgia’s race dynamics differ from Iowa’s. Feenstra was narrowly defeated by businessperson Zach Lahn in the Iowa GOP gubernatorial primary, failing to leverage Trump’s late endorsement and unify MAGA support, a failure attributed to a lackluster campaign by local Republicans.
A second Georgia-based Republican strategist said, “I would think it would need to come before June 8” for Trump’s endorsement to have a decisive impact. Early voting for the June 16 runoff begins June 8.
Another Georgia GOP strategist, uninvolved in the race, noted that Trump’s endorsement “is only effective in a Republican primary if voters are aware of it.”
Trump’s influence over Georgia’s GOP has grown stronger, showcased in this election cycle as he ousted long-standing opponents like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky, and Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana. His endorsement undoubtedly carries weight in Georgia, a key battleground state.
Before the Iowa race, Trump had a winning streak with endorsements, including Paxton’s victory over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in Texas and Rep. Julia Letlow’s win over Cassidy in Louisiana. Trump boasted about his endorsement “score for two weeks” being “38-0” in a Truth Social post on Monday night.
Collins, a committed Trump ally, secured first place in Georgia’s May primary by a ten-point margin. Polls show him leading, but Dooley has gained momentum. A recent poll from JMC Analytics and Polling shows Collins at 50 percent, Dooley at 36 percent, with 15 percent of voters undecided.
Clayton Henson, a senior adviser to Dooley, said, “In Georgia, who President Trump endorses matters, even if it’s late. We are making our case and working to earn the trust of the President’s coalition.”
When asked for comment, Collins’ campaign referred POLITICO to a remark he made earlier this year: “The president has always had the impeccable ability to put his name on someone at the right time to get the most bang for his buck,” he stated in March.
Collins aims to position himself as the MAGA movement’s natural successor, and several MAGA-aligned groups, such as the Club for Growth super PAC and Turning Point Action, have already endorsed him, despite their split with Trump in Iowa.
However, following the primary, Collins’ campaign faced criticism after his top aide, Brandon Phillips, involved in a House Ethics complaint, posted an inappropriate insult aimed at a Dooley-affiliated operative’s wife on social media.
Collins disavowed Phillips and hired top Trump campaign operatives, including pollster Tony Fabrizio, data strategist Tim Saler, and general consultant Chip Englander.
Meanwhile, Dooley has leaned on support from GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, a longtime family friend, despite Kemp’s sometimes-tense relationship with Trump after defeating him in the 2022 primaries. Dooley has also sought to appeal to Trump’s base, emphasizing the need to expand the Republican coalition to win statewide in Georgia.
“It’s an honor to have Gov. Kemp’s endorsement. His leadership has been inspirational to me,” Dooley said during a one-on-one runoff debate with Collins at the end of May. “And of course, I would be honored to have the president’s support. Everybody would love President Trump’s support. We’ve all been very supportive of his agenda.”
