Mike Collins, endorsed by Donald Trump, won Georgia's Republican primary runoff on 16/6 against Derek Dooley, a former football coach. Despite Governor Brian Kemp's support, Dooley trailed Collins by 10 points in the first primary on 19/5, and Collins ultimately secured Trump's backing. Collins will now challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff for a Senate seat in the November midterm elections.

Mike Collins at an event in Texas in March. Photo: Reuters

Collins, 58, is a businessman who has represented Georgia's 10th congressional district since 2023. President Donald Trump praised him as a fighter and a winner, but his primary victory has sparked significant worry among Republicans who fear his personal issues, past anti-abortion stance, and fundraising struggles could jeopardize the crucial Senate seat.

An anonymous Republican strategist in Georgia called Collins the "worst candidate," citing his past "100% anti-abortion, no exceptions" stance, which included cases of rape or incest. Polls show most Americans oppose such a strict ban. This position, identified as a political vulnerability, led Collins to shift his stance. He now states he fully supports Georgia's Heartbeat Law, which prohibits abortion after about 6 weeks but includes exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the mother's life. Despite this adjustment, many Republicans worry he cannot win over moderate voters.

The strategist also noted Collins' potential difficulty raising campaign funds and highlighted an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation. Collins is accused of his office paying a legislative intern who did not actually work. During an April primary debate, Collins denied the accusation, stating the investigation was based on a "bogus complaint" filed anonymously to discredit him. "He will fail in metropolitan Atlanta in an unprecedented way," the Republican strategist predicted.

Senator Jon Ossoff in Washington in December 2025. Photo: Reuters

Georgia, historically a Republican stronghold, has seen a recent shift, losing three consecutive Senate elections. In January 2021, Republicans lost two US Senate seats in runoff elections, giving Democrats control of the Senate for the first two years of President Joe Biden's term. In 2022, Republicans also lost a seat to Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock.

Despite Trump's win in Georgia in the 2024 election, recent federal campaign finance reports show Ossoff has approximately 30 million USD more in campaign funds than any Republican opponent. Ossoff's political journey includes a narrow loss in a 2017 House special election, followed by a 2020 Senate run where he initially trailed incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue. However, as no candidate secured a majority, the race went to a runoff, which Ossoff won.

Nevertheless, US politics, particularly in the Trump era, can change rapidly. There is still much time for the situation to shift before November, especially in a nationally influential state like Georgia.

Hoang Lan (According to MS Now, Politico)