Trump backs Mike Collins ahead of Georgia GOP Senate runoff
Why it matters: Tuesday’s winner will face Sen. Jon Ossoff in a race Republicans see as key to protecting their narrow Senate majority.
President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Mike Collins on Saturday in Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff, stepping into the race days before Tuesday’s vote. Collins, a congressman from Georgia’s 10th District and a trucking company co-owner, is running against Derek Dooley, a lawyer and former University of Tennessee football coach backed by Gov. Brian Kemp. The runoff was triggered after neither candidate cleared 50% in last month’s primary. The GOP nominee will challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November, a contest Republicans are heavily targeting in hopes of defending their slim Senate majority. Collins has promoted his ties to Trump, while Dooley has cast himself as an outsider despite support from Kemp’s political network.