It’s old news that U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and state Insurance Commissioner John King have announced they’re running in the 2026 primary for the U.S. Senate Georgia Republican Party nomination, and that others including U.S. Rep. Mike Collins have been thinking about it. But the latest news is being generated in the aftermath of a May 10th meeting in Washington, D.C., between Gov. Brian Kemp and President Donald Trump.
They discussed wanting the Georgia GOP to stay united as well as to be able to attract many independents and center/right voters with a “unity” candidate they believe can win statewide in the 2026 November general election.
Even more information about this goal is revealed in a Tuesday phone call by the governor with his major donors.
Despite two candidates already getting into the GOP Senate primary, Kemp in the call urged his donors to “keep your powder dry” to give him and the president more breathing room to settle on a candidate who can defeat Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Kemp again stressed that he and the president want to unite behind a consensus candidate to defeat Ossoff in a state that Trump just won last November. One caller told us that whether they’ll wind up rallying around the same contender is still unclear, but that Kemp in the call pleaded for his supporters to be patient. “Give us time,” he told donors according to three people on the line, adding that he and Trump plan more conversations about this particular race.
Kemp, as well as his well-heeled political action committee, would be generous to whoever is the eventual GOP nominee, but he noted that he’d really be excited and work hard for a consensus candidate.
Who would that be? Rumors are flying. One involves former U.S. Congressman Doug Collins, now secretary of Veterans Affairs (and a Trump loyalist) who Kemp also believes would be competitive. He could resign from his VA job and run at the beginning of 2026. Then there’s former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Trump ally who heads the U.S. Small Business Administration and who was originally appointed to the Senate by Kemp. She could easily self-fund a competitive campaign against Ossoff, along with her loyal donor base from her last race.
All this political drama will continue to intrigue Republicans as well as Democrats— but especially all likely Georgia voters.
