June 10, 2026, 3:41 p.m.
WHEN: Polls close at 7 p.m. on June 16.
BIG PICTURE: President Trump’s endorsement powers face another test in the gubernatorial race, while Sen. Jon Ossoff, the most vulnerable Democratic senator in the country, finds out his opponent. After Gov. Brian Kemp (R) passed on a bid, a bottleneck of B-list candidates jockeyed for position to take on the well-funded Ossoff.
SENATE: MAGA’s ally versus the governor’s friend
Rep. Mike Collins (R-10) and former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley (R) are competing for the chance to take on Ossoff. In the May 19 GOP primary, Collins won 41 percent of the vote, Dooley got 30 percent, and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-01) got 25 percent—mostly concentrated in Carter’s Savannah-area district. The runoff winner will have to compete with Ossoff's eight-figure war chest.
- ANALYSIS: The Collins-Dooley runoff appears to mirror Trump and Kemp’s past rivalry, though without the president’s direct involvement. The governor is heavily backing Dooley, barnstorming the state alongside him as the Kemp-aligned Hardworking Americans Inc. spends seven figures on ads. Trump hasn’t endorsed in the race, but his former campaign advisers joined Collins’ campaign following the runoff. Polls conducted after the May primary show Collins ahead of Dooley, suggesting the congressman’s grassroots appeal could be difficult to counter. Yet Dooley’s allies argue a string of controversies for Collins could endanger a pickup opportunity for the GOP.
- COOK RATING: Lean Democrat
STATE: A Peach State test of Trump’s power
Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) and health care executive Rick Jackson (R) are vying to take on former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D). Jones and Jackson never faced off on the debate stage during the four-week runoff campaign, instead taking their fight to the airwaves. In his self-funded bid, Jackson has continued to lean on his personal background, while Jones has attacked Jackson’s health care companies. The Republican runoff has emboldened Democrats, who have gotten an early start to general-election campaigning.
- ANALYSIS: Trump has stayed quiet during the runoff, not reaffirming his endorsement of Jones. If Jones loses, it would be a severe hit to Trump’s political sway. Unlike Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa, a losing gubernatorial candidate whom Trump had backed just days before the primary, Jones secured Trump’s support in August 2025.
- COOK RATING: Toss-Up
A HELPING HAND: All comes down to the Republicans
With the Democratic fields largely set, Republicans will decide whether their future will model Kemp’s style or Trump’s.
- ANALYSIS: Jones, touting Trump’s endorsement, has boasted of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the president’s favor. This loyalty has reaped early rewards, with Jones leading in last month’s primary.
AS SEEN ON TV:
Kemp is a heavy presence in Dooley’s advertisements. A post-primary ad from Dooley features Kemp reiterating his support and reminding GOP voters of the opportunity to unseat Ossoff. The spot also calls attention to an active ethics complaint against Collins, who’s grouped in with the specter of “D.C. corruption and career politicians.”
Kemp has also played a presence in a Jackson ad, but not by his own free will. Jackson’s runoff spot opens with the narrator saying, “If you like Brian Kemp, you’re going to love Rick Jackson.” The ad then features a clip of an interview in which Kemp said Jackson was a “great supporter.” Kemp has not endorsed in the race, and the ad leaves out the following part of the interview in which he also praised Jones.
