In Atlanta, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter made history by becoming the first Republican to enter the race to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026. This move comes after Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that he will not seek the seat. Carter, with aspirations for statewide office, emphasized his support from President Donald Trump in a video ad while criticizing Ossoff. Several other Georgia Republicans are also considering a Senate run, including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Collins, Rich McCormick, Brad Raffensperger, John King, and Greg Dolezal.
Although not widely recognized outside the coast of Georgia, Carter has been a prominent figure in state politics for nearly thirty years. The 67-year-old pharmacist, who previously served as mayor of Pooler and held positions in the state legislature, was elected to Congress in 2014. Eric Johnson, a former top Republican in the Georgia Senate, expressed his support for Carter, highlighting his strong constituent service and accessibility.
Carter’s campaign is well-funded, with nearly $3.5 million on hand as of March 31 to defend his House seat. He is positioning himself as a “MAGA Warrior” aligned with Trump and has introduced legislation reflecting this stance. The upcoming Republican primary is expected to be competitive, with Trump’s endorsement likely playing a significant role in determining the frontrunner. Carter’s bipartisan legislative efforts, particularly on prescription drugs, aim to appeal to a broad voter base.
On the Democratic side, Ossoff faces no serious challengers at this time. He has launched his reelection campaign by criticizing Trump and emphasizing the importance of working across party lines. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has denounced Carter’s agenda as toxic, expressing confidence in Ossoff’s reelection prospects. National Republicans have already begun attacking Ossoff on issues such as transgender athletes in women’s sports, drawing attention to his stance on impeachable offenses by Trump.
Overall, the race for the Georgia Senate seat in 2026 is shaping up to be a highly contested and closely watched battle between Republicans and Democrats.
Trump is focused on securing our border and supporting the participation of men in girls’ sports, stating that Jon Ossoff is on the wrong side of the issue. Campaign races are expected to be costly, with Ossoff raising over $11 million in just the first three months of 2025. The Senate races in 2020, where Ossoff and Raphael Warnock claimed victory and shifted control to the Democrats, totaled more than $900 million in expenses. Warnock’s successful reelection bid in 2022 against Republican Herschel Walker amounted to over $470 million, according to OpenSecrets. Reporting for this update was done by Bynum in Savannah, Georgia.
