Gov. Brian Kemp says he won't run for Georgia Senate seat
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp won’t seek a Republican nomination in next year’s Georgia Senate race, a key race to control the House of Lords as Republicans hope to upset the vulnerable Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.
“Participating next year is not the right decision for me and my family,” Kemp said in an article on X.
He added that he spoke with Senate Republican leaders and President Trump and “speaks of my commitment to work with them to make sure we have a strong Republican candidate that will win next November.”
Kemp made a 3.1-point error rate last month in the 2026 Senate race against Ossoff in the hypothetical Atlanta Diary Constitutional Poll.
The Georgia Senate game is one of the most watched games next year, and retaining a seat is crucial for Democrats to regain control of the Senate.
The elections in Georgia (who was a consistent red country) have long been approaching. Ossoff vs Republican Senator David Perdue in 2021 Strong performance In suburban Atlanta and among black voters, it helps to tie down the narrow Senate majority of the Democrats. Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock was beaten by less than three-thirds in 2022, defeating former Trump-backed football star Herschel Walker.
Kemp's plan in the Senate game is closely watched for its popularity in the state. The restricted governor beat Democrat Stacey Abrams with only 1.4 points in 2018, but his margin increased to 7.5 points against Abrams in 2022. Kemp is easy to avoid, too The main challenges of Trump support By 2022, Perdue beat him 50 points.
Kemp has a tough relationship with Mr. Trump, dating back to the governor’s refusal to help the president overturn his losses in Georgia’s 2020 election. Mr. Trump recognized Perdue's primary election, calling Kemp “the worst gubernatorial election integrity in the country.” Kemp Later recognized Mr. Trump won Georgia in his 2024 campaign.
With Kemp exiting the game, it is not clear who will seek to compete with Ossoff.
Mr. Trump said in 2023 that he would “fight” for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia. Fire Cards Councillor said she was “considering all possibilities” earlier this year when asked whether she would run for the statewide office in 2026.
Candidates besides Kemp may face a more difficult path: Ossoff led Greene 54%-37% in last month’s Diary Constitutional Poll. The current senator also leads Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King 51%-38%, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger – another Trump enemy – 48%-39%.