With national attention on Georgia’s U.S. Senate race, Ossoff and Collins meet

Georgia’s U.S. Senate race has garnered national attention for its importance to the Senate’s majority this year. Democrats are trying to defend a precious seat won in a state that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, while Republicans want to pry the seat to pad their lead in the Senate, which they currently have a 53-45 majority in.

Incumbent Jon Ossoff’s seat is one of only two Democratic seats up for election in a state that President Donald Trump won in 2024, and the other — in Michigan — does not feature a Democrat incumbent seeking re-election.

With 35 of the 100 U.S. Senate seats up for election — that includes two special elections — Georgia’s outcome will be crucial on a national scale. Democrats hold 13 of the seats up for election, while Republicans hold 22.

Jon Ossoff

Ossoff has held the office since 2021, when he defeated Republican David Perdue 50.6% to 49.4% in a special election. 

His campaign for re-election has largely hinged on his track record in the Senate since. Ossoff’s campaign website noting his legislation centered on goals like capping the price of insulin, exposing abuse of children in the foster care system and defending women’s reproductive rights.

Ossoff, who was born in Atlanta in 1987, has emphasized reform as a campaign platform to attract progressive voters. He has also supported some bipartisan efforts in the legislature, including a crackdown on fentanyl passing through the U.S. border and an expansion of technical training for housing construction in Washington.

The incumbent has faced some scrutiny about a potential run for president in 2028, though Ossoff has repeatedly said he will not run. Collins has criticized the possible 2028 campaign and noted Ossoff’s national pool of donors.

Quick key platforms:

• Accountability and reform of government corruption in the Senate
• Housing affordability
• Civil and human rights

Mike Collins

Collins won a somewhat gruelling Republican primary to earn the chance to face Ossoff, earning 40.5% of the vote in the initial election before defeating former college football coach Derek Dooley in the runoff with 55.5% of the vote.

Collins was born in Jackson, Georgia in 1967 and was elected as the U.S. House representative for District 10 in 2022. His father, Mac Collins, served in the U.S. House for more than a decade. 

Collins has noted his loyalty to President Trump and received an endorsement from him, often following his policies, particularly including harsh stances on immigration. 

Collins was one of the key supporters of the Laken Riley Act, a law expanding authority for immigration agencies to detain immigrants who are in the country illegally and accused of a crime. The law was named for the UGA student who was murdered while jogging on campus.

Other campaign platforms include cutting federal spending and protecting gun rights, according to Collins’ campaign website.

Collins has faced scrutiny for a number of items, including a scandal involving his former chief of staff, Brandon Phillips, allegedly misusing taxpayer money. Collins has since attempted to distance himself from Phillips.

Collins has also been criticized for his son-in-law, David Allen Scheer II, having links to Nazi imagery and white nationalist beliefs on social media. 

Ossoff has publicly attacked Collins for both items.

Quick key platforms:

• Tougher border/immigration policy
• Second Amendment rights
• Cutting federal spending