Georgia Republicans are growing anxious as three candidates compete for their party’s Senate nomination with no sign that President Donald Trump will weigh in before the May 19 primary. The concern sharpened after Trump’s refusal to endorse in the Texas Senate race produced a costly runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton — a scenario Georgia Republican strategists fear will repeat itself and drain resources ahead of a general election against well-funded Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Ossoff holds more than $25.5 million in cash on hand while the three Republican contenders each hold under $4.5 million, and strategists from both parties warn that a prolonged primary fight could leave the eventual Republican nominee unable to compete financially in November.
Georgia Republicans are on edge as three candidates compete for their party’s nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, with no indication that President Donald Trump will weigh in before the May 19 primary. Their concern grew sharper this week after the Texas Senate primary ended without a winner — because Trump declined to endorse before Election Day — setting up a runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Trump has since promised to choose between the two Texas candidates but has not said when or whom he will support. There is no sign he intends to get involved in Georgia’s contest before primary day.
“Assuming that President Trump does not weigh in, it seems like it is more likely than not that we will have a runoff,” Georgia Republican Party chair Josh McKoon said.
The fundraising gap
The strategic stakes are clear in the campaign finance numbers. Ossoff held more than $25.5 million in cash on hand, according to the most recent disclosures. His three Republican opponents hold a fraction of that: Rep. Buddy Carter had $4.2 million, including a substantial share of his own funds; Rep. Mike Collins had $2.3 million; and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley had $2.1 million.
McKoon said he was confident Republican donors would coalesce around the eventual winner, but strategists aligned with Collins acknowledged the window is closing. “Ossoff continues every day going unscathed,” said Republican strategist Stephen Lawson, a Collins ally. “I do think there has to be some sense of urgency on settling on a candidate and clearing the field sooner rather than later.”
Warnings from the NRSC
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, warned last month in an interview with The Washington Examiner that the fractured field put the seat at risk. “We need to get it down to one candidate as soon as possible,” Scott said. “And if we are able to do so, we have a chance to be successful there. But as long as we have three candidates, it’s going to be tougher for us.”
The three candidates
All three contenders have positioned themselves as loyal to Trump. Collins, who carries endorsements from the Club for Growth and calls himself the “America First MAGA candidate,” also faces an ethics complaint from a congressional watchdog. The complaint alleges that Collins’s policy adviser and former chief of staff improperly hired Collins’s girlfriend as an intern even though she did not complete assigned work. Collins called the complaint “bogus.”
Carter, a political fixture in southeast Georgia, describes himself as a “MAGA warrior” and said in an interview this week that “I’m the one without any baggage.” Carter also suggested Trump may be reluctant to get involved in a race that includes two sitting House members, given Republicans’ narrow majority. “The president really is probably going to sit this one out,” Carter said.
Ossoff drew a sharp contrast with all three at a speech this week at Georgia’s capitol. “My opponents have already made clear they will be Donald Trump’s puppets,” Ossoff said.
Trump’s record in Georgia
Faith & Freedom Coalition chairman Ralph Reed described a Trump endorsement as “the gold standard of the party” and “the strongest endorsement I’ve ever seen in my career.” Reed said Trump’s central consideration when choosing to endorse is the likelihood of winning in November. “The only thing that drives Trump more than finding candidates that are loyal both philosophically and personally is identifying and getting behind candidates that can win,” Reed said. “He wants to win.”
Trump’s record in Georgia, however, provides reason for hesitation. In January 2021, his allies David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler lost Senate runoffs to Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock. In December 2022, Trump-endorsed Herschel Walker lost a rematch to Warnock.