Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) launched his campaign to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026, making him the first Republican to jump in the battleground race.
Carter billed himself as a “MAGA warrior” in his campaign announcement video released on Thursday. He declared his commitment to the Trump administration’s efforts to secure the border and end transgender athletes’ participation in school sports, bashing Ossoff’s approach to the issues.
The announcement comes only days after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he’d pass on a run for Senate in the midterms, a blow to Republicans’ efforts to take the seat. Kemp’s absence paves the way for what could be a crowded primary.
“I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family,” Kemp said in a statement on Monday. “I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November.”
Carter praised Kemp’s “dedicated service to the state of Georgia” on social media after the governor’s announcement while also proclaiming the need for a senator that will push Trump’s agenda forward.
“Georgians voted for Donald Trump overwhelmingly in November and deserve someone who is going to support him, and the will of the people, in the Senate,” he said in a Monday post on X.
Trump has yet to endorse a candidate in Georgia. Whoever the president backs is likely to be a front-runner in the primary, ahead of what’s expected to be a heated general election.
Other Republican members of the delegation have expressed interest in a run, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rich McCormick, among others.
Carter has been making an effort to align with Trump since the president returned to office. In February, he brought forward a bill that would allow Trump to acquire Greenland and rename it “Red, White and Blueland.”
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