Republican Rep. Mike Collins spoke to supporters Tuesday night after losing Georgia's U.S. Senate race to Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, PBS News reported. Ossoff's win blocked one of the Republicans' main chances to pick up a Senate seat this year.
The result is a turnaround from where things stood a year ago. Republicans were optimistic about Georgia because President Donald Trump carried the state narrowly in 2024. Ossoff was the only Senate Democrat seeking reelection in a state Trump won.
Instead, Ossoff led in fundraising throughout the race. PBS News reported that Republican groups backing Collins pulled back their spending in mid-October, a sign they believed the race was likely lost. The Associated Press called the race for Ossoff at 7:55 p.m. Eastern time.
Collins is a two-term congressman and the owner of a family trucking company. He won Trump's endorsement during a long Republican primary, beating former football coach Derek Dooley, who had the backing of Gov. Brian Kemp. NPR reported that during the campaign Collins faced scrutiny over ties to family members and former staffers who have voiced white nationalist and antisemitic views. He also kept repeating Trump's false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Holding Georgia was central to Democratic hopes. PBS News noted that the party's path to a Senate majority depends on keeping seats in Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire.
Ossoff's victory gave Democrats an early answer to one of those questions. Raw 100.5 will keep following results as more races are called around the country.
Sources: PBS News, NPR, The Associated Press