Overview
- President Trump posted a Truth Social endorsement for Rep. Mike Collins on Sunday, throwing his support behind the congressman days before the June 16 Republican runoff against Derek Dooley.
- The endorsement sets up a direct intra-party clash with Gov. Brian Kemp, who has publicly backed Dooley and mounted a state-level effort to promote his candidacy.
- The practical boost from the endorsement is uncertain because Trump announced it after early voting ended, which limits its ability to reach voters who already cast ballots.
- Collins has led in post-primary polling and finished first on May 19, but his campaign has faced controversies this month including the firing of a top aide over a crude social post and an ongoing House ethics probe tied to a different former staffer.
- The winner will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November in a race seen as one of the GOP’s best pickup chances, and observers say the result will test Trump’s influence and Kemp’s argument that an outsider like Dooley is more electable next fall.