The field of Georgia Republicans vying to take on vulnerable Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is continuing to take shape, with one candidate dropping his bid and signs pointing to others launching new campaigns shortly.
On Thursday, state Insurance Commissioner John King suspended his Senate campaign, after concluding that there was “little path forward to the nomination.”
“I got into the U.S. Senate race to beat Jon Ossoff, not distract from the mission,” he said on social media. “I’ve spent my entire life in the arena as a lawman, soldier, and first Hispanic elected statewide in Georgia, and I’m not done yet.”
King, who first entered state government in 2019 when Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him to the position of state insurance and safety fire commissioner, said that he would seek reelection to his post next year.
“I’m going to do everything I can to keep Georgia’s state offices red and back a Senate nominee who supports President Trump’s agenda,” he said.
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that King ended his campaign after a private meeting with Kemp, who told him he would be backing former football coach Derek Dooley to take on Ossoff.
Dooley has yet to enter the Senate race, but Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter is already running and Rep. Mike Collins has signaled he’ll launch a Senate campaign as well.
Kemp also informed Carter and Collins of his decision to support Dooley, the Journal-Constitution reported. Carter’s campaign told the newspaper the congressman was staying in the race.
“Politicians don’t elect our Senators — the people of Georgia do,” his campaign said in a statement. “There’s only one candidate in this race who is a MAGA Warrior and only one who will take the fight to radical liberal Jon Ossoff and his socialist cronies in Washington.”
Ossoff is considered the most vulnerable incumbent Democratic senator up for reelection next year and represents a state Donald Trump won by 2 points last fall. Senate Democrats face a tough map in their quest to win the majority next year, with few takeover opportunities at this point in the cycle.
Still, Ossoff remains one of the chamber’s most prolific fundraisers: He raised more than $10 million in the second quarter that ended June 30, following an $11 million haul over the first three months of the year. He entered July with more than $15 million on hand.
Ossoff’s second-quarter total far outpaced that of Carter, who reported raising about $1 million in contributions and loaned his campaign an additional $2 million. King, who entered the race in early May, raised $518,000.
Collins, who has repeatedly hinted at a Senate run, ended June with $1 million in his House campaign account, funds that could be transferred to a Senate committee.
“I love what I’m doing now,” the second-term Republican said in a video posted on social media earlier this month. “But I also understand that sometimes you don’t do what you want to do, but what you need to do.”
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the Senate race in Georgia as a Toss-up.
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