Georgia Republicans are urging President Donald Trump to endorse a candidate in their Senate primary runoff before it's too late, fearing that a last-minute endorsement could backfire as it did for Rep. Randy Feenstra in Iowa.
The race pits Rep. Mike Collins, a vocal Trump ally, against former college football coach Derek Dooley. Early voting for the June 16 runoff begins June 8, leaving Republicans little time to consolidate support around a single candidate before ballots are cast.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican strategists say Trump's endorsement remains their best tool to clear the conservative field and unite GOP voters behind a single challenger. They point to the president's success rate in primaries this cycle as evidence of his continued grip on the Republican base.
"The president has vanquished longstanding foes like Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky and Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana," said Emma Hall, an RNC spokesperson. "There is no doubt that Trump's endorsement will carry weight in Georgia."
Casey Cagle, a former Georgia lieutenant governor supporting Collins, emphasized the urgency of timing. "The window is starting to close," he told Politico. "Candidates have to spend time and resources to make sure people know about the endorsement."
One Republican strategist suggested an endorsement would need to come before June 8 to have maximum impact. Another cautioned that Trump's backing "is only good in a Republican primary if Republican primary voters are aware of the endorsement."
"I wouldn't want Trump to get in at the last minute down here," said one person connected to the Georgia Senate race, speaking anonymously. "What happened in Iowa could happen in Georgia next and continue to ruin the president's win streak."
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats see an opportunity in Republican divisions over Trump's endorsement timeline. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who coasted through his primary without opposition, has built a substantial campaign war chest and maintained a comfortable lead in public polls against both Republican contenders.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has pointed to internal Republican tensions as a sign of weakness heading into the general election. The party notes that Republicans have failed to land decisive attacks on Ossoff's record while consumed by their own primary disputes.
"Republicans are tearing themselves apart fighting over who gets Trump's blessing, while Jon Ossoff has spent months building the infrastructure to win this seat," said a DSCC spokesperson in a statement to Politico.
Ossoff himself has run a disciplined campaign focused on kitchen-table issues, avoiding the intraparty warfare plaguing his Republican opponents. His allies argue that any Trump endorsement, early or late, will struggle against an organized general election operation already in place.
What the Numbers Show
Feenstra lost the Iowa GOP gubernatorial primary to businessperson Zach Lahn by a narrow margin just four days after receiving Trump's endorsement. The late timing reportedly failed to consolidate MAGA support in time for voters to adjust their preferences.
May 19 marked Georgia's initial Senate Republican primary, with Collins and Dooley advancing to the runoff without an outright majority. Early voting begins June 8, giving any potential Trump endorsement roughly a week of voter exposure before ballots are cast.
Public polling has consistently shown Ossoff leading both Republican candidates by comfortable margins. His campaign reported a substantial cash-on-hand advantage entering the general election phase, with no primary distraction to drain resources.
Trump spoke with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones about taking "the race's temperature" shortly after the May primary, according to one person familiar with the conversation. A senior national Republican official said the endorsement is under "active consideration."
The Bottom Line
The tension between wanting Trump's support and fearing a repeat of Iowa highlights the high stakes surrounding timing in competitive primaries. Republicans widely acknowledge Ossoff as a formidable general election opponent who has avoided the chaos consuming his challengers.
If Trump endorses before June 8, he could give Collins or Dooley time to consolidate conservative voters and present a unified message against Ossoff. If he waits too long, Republicans risk repeating Feenstra's outcome: an endorsement that arrives after early voting begins and fails to shift the race.
Trump remains popular among Georgia Republican primary voters, but whether his backing can overcome Ossoff's polling lead and fundraising advantage will depend on when—and how forcefully—he makes his choice known.