The Republican candidates running to replace Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) clashed in a debate yesterday as they made their appeals to voters ahead of early voting.
The debate featured frontrunners Representative Mike Collins (R-GA10) and Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA01), as well as political outsider Derek Dooley.
In the debate, the candidates were given the chance to clarify what makes them different and why they should earn the trust of Georgia voters.
Highlights of the Debate
In his opening statement, Rep. Collins ripped Sen. Ossoff for failing to represent Georgians and voting how his ‘California donors’ want. He then pledged to push an "America First" agenda with bipartisan support that aligns with Georgia voters.
🚨 WATCH: Congressman Mike Collins rips Jon Ossoff in his opening statement at the GASEN Republican Primary debate:
"Our current Senator doesn't represent us. He votes like his California donors want... When I'm there, we'll change that-- just like I've done in Congress." pic.twitter.com/AxzlHyZ8D3
— Mike Collins War Room (@TeamOverhaulGA) April 26, 2026
Rep. Carter took a similar angle, criticizing Sen. Ossoff for not representing ‘Georgia values.’ Later in the debate, Rep. Carter went further, stating that the election of Sen. Ossoff represented a critical failure of the Republican Party.
The choice couldn’t be clearer in this race. pic.twitter.com/frAcbEtzXn
— Buddy Carter (@Buddy_Carter) April 26, 2026
In Dooley’s opening statement, he explained his background while making his case for electing a political outsider. According to him, the time to send a different kind of leadership has long been overdue, and Congress is in dire need of reform.
I’m not your typical candidate. After practicing law and billing hours, I followed in my father’s footsteps and spent a 28-year career coaching football and investing in young people. I’m running for U.S. Senate because Congress isn’t working for the people – and we have to start… pic.twitter.com/Xzb3WYNKn6
— Derek Dooley (@DerekDooleyGA) April 26, 2026
As the debate carried on, however, the candidates were given chances to assess one another. This resulted in a heated exchange between Collins and Carter over alleged corruption and complaints filed against both candidates.
The Collins Campaign claimed victory in the following X post.
🚨 MUST WATCH: Mike Collins just ended RINO Buddy Carter's pathetic campaign:
"Your career has been full of complaints, corrupt land deals, and you've even tripled your net worth... You've voted for gun confiscation and amnesty for illegals. If you want a conservative, he's not… pic.twitter.com/2UZhxIj5mE
— Mike Collins War Room (@TeamOverhaulGA) April 26, 2026
Derek Dooley was not immune to this treatment and has since been criticized for his statement on Georgia's six-week abortion bill. Specifically, he stated that he would have written the Heartbeat Bill differently.
Derek Dooley is running to be your “federal US Senator” and he disagrees with Kemp’s heartbeat bill. pic.twitter.com/PsrzqH6lrG
— Mike Collins War Room (@TeamOverhaulGA) April 27, 2026
As a reminder, early voting has begun and designated voting locations can be found using the following site: click here.
