Rep. Mike Collins wins Georgia’s GOP Senate nomination and will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff

Collins, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November

ATLANTA (AP) — Rep. Mike Collins on Tuesday defeated first-time candidate Derek Dooley for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Georgia, advancing to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff for a seat that will help determine control of Capitol Hill for the final years of Donald Trump’s second presidency.

President Donald Trump will be a key fault line in the general election matchup. Collins, who was endorsed by Trump on Sunday, has identified closely with the president since he first won his House seat in north Georgia in 2022. A trucking company owner and son of a congressman, Collins campaigns as a self-described “MAGA warrior.”

Ossoff, first elected in 2020, has blasted Trump as a “national embarrassment” who is using the presidency to enrich himself and his family. The 39-year-old is the lone Senate Democrat running in a state that Trump won in 2024. Democrats face tremendous pressure to hold his seat as they try to gain a net of four seats to claim a Senate majority.