Georgia Senate Primary Tests Influence of Gov. Brian Kemp

Senate. " The ad represents one of the strongest efforts by Kemp to back his preferred candidate ahead of Tuesday's primary. Dooley, who has never held elected office, is competing against Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter. None of the three candidates is expected to receive a majority of the vote.

The top two finishers will advance to a runoff on June 16 to determine the Republican nominee against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Dooley has also said he supports Trump but has emphasized his status as a political outsider. He has argued that the congressional records of Collins and Carter could be used against the eventual nominee in the general election.

Kemp has backed Dooley since deciding not to run for the Senate seat himself. Kemp and his wife Marty have appeared with Dooley at multiple stops on the campaign trail, including events that began on Wednesday.

Kemp has a personal connection to the Dooley family.

Derek Dooley previously served as head coach at the University of Tennessee. Kemp has also supported Dooley by contacting donors on his behalf. A Kemp adviser said the governor helped Dooley gain early meetings with influential supporters. Dooley said in a phone interview that the connections provided a boost but that he still had to present his own case to voters.

"I have to go sell myself and my vision and how I'm going to represent the state, because Gov. Kemp's not on the ballot," Dooley said. Kemp's political action committee has spent more than $3 million on text messages and advertisements supporting Dooley, according to campaign finance reports.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Kemp's endorsement led one candidate to drop out of the primary.

Ossoff has raised $32 million for his reelection campaign.

Republicans have identified the seat as a top target as they seek to regain the Senate majority. Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock gained their seats through 2021 runoff victories. Warnock won reelection in 2022 by defeating Trump-backed candidate Herschel Walker.

Some Georgia Republicans have expressed concerns about the party's prospects in November. The primary is expected to continue until the June runoff, which could limit resources available for the general election campaign. Kemp has declined to discuss potential future political plans.

In a recent interview with Politico, he said he is focused on 2026. A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll found that 85 percent of likely Republican primary voters approve of Kemp's performance as governor.

President Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the primary.

All three Republican candidates have sought his support. Collins told NBC News that he looks forward to receiving Trump's backing at the appropriate time. Dooley met with Trump in August and has said he wants to earn the president's endorsement. Kemp and Trump clashed after the 2020 presidential election.

Trump falsely claimed that the election in Georgia was stolen. Kemp rejected that assertion. Trump then backed a challenger to Kemp in the 2022 gubernatorial primary, but Kemp won by a 52-point margin. Dooley has avoided directly stating whether he agrees with Kemp's view of the 2020 election.

He has said there were issues in 2020 but that his focus is on winning in 2026. Neither Collins nor Carter has used Kemp's past disputes with Trump to criticize Dooley.