(SRN NEWS/AP/97.5 Glory FM) – Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday that he’s not running for U.S. Senate in 2026 against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff.
Kemp, who will leave the governor’s chair in 2027 after eight years due to term limits, has long been at the top of the GOP’s wish list to challenge Ossoff, whom Republican leaders have made their biggest target in next year’s midterm elections. His decision not to run will likely result in a competitive primary among candidates who have never won a top statewide race.
“I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November, and ultimately be a conservative voice in the US Senate who will put hardworking Georgians first,” Kemp said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents a district on Georgia’s coast, is itching to run and is likely to jump in. U.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick (who represents Dawson and Lumpkin counties and part of Hall) and Insurance Commissioner John King could also be possibilities.
A number of top-tier Republicans appear to have excluded themselves by taking top positions in President Donald Trump’s administration, including former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins of Gainesville, currently secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, head of the Small Business Administration; and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, ambassador-designate to China.
A possible candidate with massive name recognition is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prolific fundraiser who may have gone as far as she can go in the House and was passed over for a position in the Trump administration. She has said she’s considering running for Senate or governor in 2026, but her entry into either race would likely prompt internal opposition from more traditional Republicans, including those aligned with Kemp.
National Republicans have already been advertising against Ossoff, who launched his reelection bid at a March rally where he proclaimed his defiance to Trump. He has tried to craft a role as a traditional senator who can work across the aisle and as a crusader against corruption and wrongdoing.