Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) is leading his opponents ahead of the Republican primary for a Georgia U.S. Senate seat, new polling shows.
Collins, the frontrunner, who represents Georgia’s 10th congressional district and owns a trucking company, is up against Gov. Brian Kemp (R)-endorsed Derek Dooley, former University of Tennessee football coach, lawyer, and a first-time candidate; and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), a pharmacist and longtime GOP lawmaker representing the state’s 1st congressional district. Republicans are hoping to snag the seat of Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), who was first elected in 2021 and has been dubbed the “most vulnerable” Democrat up for reelection.
The survey from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) shows Collins with the most support at 21.6 percent, compared to 12.5 percent for Carter and 11 percent for Dooley.
“Like the reliable and steady hum of a Cummins inside a Kenworth hauling logs, there’s nothing steadier than the only conservative workhorse in the race continuing to dominate with the efficiency of cost that only a successful trucker could deliver,” Collins’ campaign manager Josh Siegel said in a statement.
RealClear Polling average shows Collins leading Carter by 13 points and shows Ossoff leading Collins by a narrow 2.8 points in the general election.
Siegel added:
We expect Corrupt Carter to launch a full congressional investigation into how an authentic conservative trucker like Mike Collins has been able to step over his seven-figure ad buy, as well as how his campaign continues to come up short in rebranding the RINO into a ‘MAGA Warrior. With fired Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, we as do most Georgians, have no clue what he is doing or thinking.
Interestingly, the number of undecided voters has increased since AJC last polled on the race in November, going from 38 percent to 54 percent. In that poll, 30 percent said they supported Collins, 20 percent supported Carter, and 12 percent supported Dooley, per the report.
Kennesaw State University political science professor Kerwin Swint told the publication the the number of undecided voters usually decreases as election day approaches.
“Trump hasn’t endorsed anyone yet, so maybe that could play a role also,” Swint said.
While Trump has not endorsed, he said on Oct. 15 that “some very good people are running.” Trump made an early endorsement in the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial race for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
“And I understand that I haven’t made a decision yet,” Trump said at the time about the Senate race. “But I’m following that race very carefully.”
“It’s very important for Georgia to get a real senator because the senator they have now is a horrible senator,” Trump said of incumbent Sen. Ossoff. “Those people are great and they deserve a good senator, because the man they have now is a weak, ineffective person.”
The Georgia Republican Senate Primary election is on May 19, 2026. If any candidate does not receive more than 50 percent of the votes, the top two contenders will compete in a runoff race before the winner challenges Ossoff in November.
The poll was conducted with 1,000 likely Georgia primary voters by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs between April 18-26. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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