Georgia showdown pits Trump vs Kemp in GOP Senate race

President Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp (R) are on opposite sides Tuesday as Georgia voters go to the polls to pick a GOP nominee for Senate, with Kemp backing former college football coach Derek Dooley and Trump endorsing Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.).

The contest pits the undisputed leader of the Republican Party, Trump, against the most popular GOP figure in the swing state of Georgia. Kemp was also the Republican many in the GOP thought would enter the Senate race.

It’s the latest unusual chapter for Trump in the state of Georgia, where in 2020 he pressured officials to overturn his loss in the presidential contest and then saw two Republican senators lose runoffs in 2021.

Trump and Kemp have also had a tumultuous relationship. The governor drew the ire of the president for his refusal to not certify the 2020 election results in Georgia. The lengthy feud reached a crescendo when Trump supported a primary challenge against Kemp. During the 2024 campaign, the two men appeared to bury the hatchet despite the lingering tensions.

The two, for example, have notably backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) in the GOP runoff for governor.

Although Trump’s endorsement has proven decisive in key primary races this year, Georgia Republicans have shown a unique willingness to buck the president’s picks at the polls.

“Donald Trump endorsed David Perdue, and a whole host of characters running against all of the Republican statewide elected officials,” in 2022, Republican strategist and Kemp campaign alum Ryan Mahoney explained, referencing the former senator’s unsuccessful gubernatorial bid.

“They all lost, and still to this day, everyone wants Donald Trump’s endorsement, because it moves the........

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