Ossoff Secures Second Term in Georgia, Defeating Collins in AP Call

The Associated Press called the U.S. Senate race in Georgia on Monday, declaring Jon Ossoff the winner. The Democrat defeated Republican Representative Mike Collins to keep his seat. Ossoff was the only incumbent Senate Democrat defending a position in a state that President Donald Trump won in the 2024 election.

Political observers had projected a tight contest a year ago, viewing Georgia as a major battleground for the midterm cycle. The race instead delivered a clear result for Ossoff. His victory came despite the fact that Republicans typically win nearly all other statewide offices in the state.

Collins, who owns a family trucking company, faced intense scrutiny throughout the campaign. He struggled to distance himself from family members and former staffers who have expressed white nationalist and antisemitic views. He also maintained Trump's claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. These issues alienated independent voters and some Republicans who usually support the party line.

Ossoff gained traction by emphasizing his record of constituent service, which earned him respect from some local Republican officials. He also attracted national attention by critiquing Trump appointees during Senate hearings. Clips of these exchanges circulated widely online, leading some Democrats to discuss him as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, although he has said he is not running for the White House.

The 2021 election saw Democrats flip both of Georgia's Senate seats to blue for the first time in a generation. In the 2022 midterm, Raphael Warnock, the other Georgia Democrat, retained his seat in a runoff against a flawed opponent. That result kept the balance of power tight in the Senate, setting the stage for Ossoff's current defense.

In the Republican primary this spring, Trump endorsed Collins over Derek Dooley, a former football coach and first-time candidate backed by Governor Brian Kemp. Ossoff's path to the Senate began with a special election for a suburban House seat in 2017, a race he lost narrowly. He later won a 2021 runoff to enter the chamber, where he built a reputation for detailed questioning of executive branch nominees.