US midterm primaries 2026 live: Mike Collins projected to win Republican nomination for US Senate in Georgia

Key Points:

• Georgia Congressman Mike Collins is projected by the Associated Press to win the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, defeating former football coach Derek Dooley; Collins will face incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff in November for a crucial Senate seat.
• Collins, a trucking company owner and self-described “MAGA warrior,” received a late endorsement from Donald Trump despite concerns over his hardline anti-abortion stance, while Ossoff has criticized Collins as under investigation and tied to controversial actions.
• In the Republican primary for Georgia governor, billionaire Rick Jackson leads Trump-backed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who is also endorsed by Governor Brian Kemp; Jackson has spent over $100 million on his campaign and was endorsed by Senator Ted Cruz.
• Tim Fleming won the Republican nomination for Georgia secretary of state, defeating pro-Trump election denier Vernon Jones; Fleming, a former deputy secretary of state, distanced himself from conspiracy theories but acknowledged “irregularities” in the 2020 election.
• These primaries serve as a significant test of Donald Trump’s influence within the Republican Party, with mixed results in Georgia and other states, amid ongoing tensions over election integrity and voting rights issues.