Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA-10) on Monday in his U.S. Senate bid against Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, a move that unites the state’s Republican establishment behind its nominee just 49 days before the November 3 election.
In a statement released by the Collins campaign, Kemp praised the congressman’s record and drew a sharp contrast with Ossoff.
“Mike Collins and I share a commitment to making Georgia an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. Mike has delivered results as a businessman and common-sense leader in Washington, and that’s what we need in our next Senator. Jon Ossoff’s far-left agenda doesn’t represent Georgia values, and the future of our state and country demands a different direction. I’m proud to endorse Mike Collins for the U.S. Senate, and I know he’ll always put Georgia first,” Kemp said.
Collins responded on social media, thanking Kemp for joining his effort to “take back Georgia’s Senate seat, stand up to the far-left agenda, and defeat Jon Ossoff this November.”
The endorsement marks a shift for Kemp, who originally backed former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley during the Georgia primary. His move to Collins comes as the general election nears and could help unify Republican voters and boost fundraising for a campaign that trails badly in cash on hand.
Federal filings through June 30 showed Ossoff with about $42.6 million on hand compared with roughly $2.1 million for Collins. Ossoff has out-raised every other federal candidate in the country this cycle, and has drawn substantial outside money, including from a recent Hollywood fundraiser where he appeared alongside Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico.
A Different Story in Texas
Kemp’s decision to fall in line behind his party’s nominee stands in contrast to the situation in Texas, where Sen. John Cornyn, who lost his primary bid, has continued working against the campaign of Republican nominee and state Attorney General Ken Paxton rather than uniting behind him.
Ossoff Campaign Pushes Back
Ossoff campaign spokesperson Valeria Rivadeneira-Crandell dismissed the Kemp endorsement as a late and calculated move.
“There’s a reason Brian Kemp worked so hard to defeat bigot Mike Collins in the GOP primary and waited to endorse the congressman until less than two months from Election Day, and it’s that Collins, who’s only a congressman because his daddy was a congressman, is surrounded at work and at home by neo-Nazis and white nationalists,” Rivadeneira-Crandell said.
The statement refers to videos and allegations made in June concerning Collins’ son-in-law, which some have sought to connect to the Collins campaign.
Recent polling shows Ossoff with an eight-point lead over Collins. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,019 likely voters conducted September 14 found Ossoff at 51% to Collins’ 42%. RealClearPolling and other outlets currently rate the race as Lean Democrat.
Collins and Ossoff are scheduled to meet in a debate on October 8.
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