JUST IN: Trump-Backed Candidate Cruises To Victory In Pivotal Senate Primary

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) has been declared the winner of Georgia’s runoff election in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Collins — who secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement late in the race — is set to face off against incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in what projects to be one of the closest races of the 2026 midterm elections cycle.

Collins defeated former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley in the head-to-head contest, which was called not long after polls closed at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Collins led from the outset of vote counting. With approximately 26% of votes reported in early returns, he held a narrow edge of about 51% to Dooley’s 49%. As additional results came in, Collins maintained and extended his lead.

Multiple outlets, including NBC News and Decision Desk HQ, projected Collins as the winner shortly after polls closed.

Decision Desk HQ projects Mike Collins wins the GA US Senate Republican Runoff#DecisionMade: 8:05 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/VSJoq30c7w

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 17, 2026

In the May 19 Republican primary, no candidate reached the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff. Collins finished first in that contestwith approximately 40.5% of the vote (around 365,000–370,000 votes), followed by Dooley at about 30.2%. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) placed third with roughly 25%, while additional candidates received smaller shares.

Collins, a businessman and current U.S. representative from Georgia’s 10th Congressional District since 2023, built support through strong performances in rural counties and some northern Atlanta-area suburbs. He received a high-profile endorsement from President Donald Trump just days before the runoff, which gave his campaign plenty of momentum heading into Election Day.

Dooley, who was endorsed by term-limited Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, drew on his background in coaching and business. He positioned himself as a consensus candidate but ultimately fell short in the final tally.

The runoff decided the nominee to face Ossoff, who is seeking re-election. While Ossoff has led in terms of polling and fundraising through this point in the campaign, the race is viewed as highly competitive due to the state’s partisan lean and significant GOP war chest on the national level.

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