Trump Makes Endorsement Ahead Of Critical Senate Runoff

President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Mike Collins for Senate just ahead of the Georgia Republican primary runoff election. 

Collins is set to face off on Tuesday against former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley for the GOP nomination. The winner will take on Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff, who first took office in January 2021, in a race that could prove crucial for control of the Senate. 

“It is my Great Honor to endorse ‘MAGA’ Mike Collins, a Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning, and is running for the United States Senate in Georgia, a very special place to me, and where we just had a BIG Presidential Election Win with the Most Votes Received by any single Candidate in Georgia’s History, for any Election,” Trump wrote on Monday morning. “Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!”

The race, which featured Collins, Dooley, and Rep. Buddy Carter, moved to a runoff on May 22 after no candidate earned over 50% of the vote. Collins advanced with 40.5% of the vote while Dooley advanced with 30.2%. 

Trump first endorsed Collins on Saturday, before reiterating his support on Monday morning. 

“Mike has to beat a Republican Opponent before he gets to Ossoff,” Trump said on Saturday in his first post endorsing Collins. “I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person. Unfortunately, he has lived outside of Georgia for most of his life, didn’t vote in 2020 or 2016, and said that I lost Georgia in 2020 when, in actuality, the facts have now proven that I won by a lot!”

Dooley is backed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who said the former football coach was “our one and only opportunity to knock Jon Ossoff off.”

Tuesday’s Georgia runoff election will also feature the Trump-endorsed Burt Jones against billionaire Rick Jackson, who has dumped millions into the race. Jones took 38.2% of the vote the first time around to Jackson’s 32.5%. 

Last month, Trump made another last-minute intervention in a GOP Senate runoff, endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn. Paxton went on to solidly defeat Cornyn.