Can Republicans really beat Jon Ossoff?
Politics at every level boils down to basic principles. Do you have one more vote than the opposing side? Do you have the resources to get elected? Do you have a persuasive message? Do people trust you? Beating Georgia Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is possible; he would even tell you that.
The Georgia GOP may be in the proper weight class, but are we having the wrong fight?
In the last few weeks, Gov. Brian Kemp has attempted to clear a field for his childhood friend and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. Like many in the South, I am familiar with Dooley’s career and his family’s legacy. You cannot tell the story of University of Georgia athletics without his late father, Vince Dooley.
Gov. Kemp has a great reputation that I would put up against any Republican in America. On the other hand, I believe his biggest regret as governor was appointing Sen. Kelly Loeffler to finish the unexpired term of Johnny Isakson.
I do not say that with disrespect to Sen. Loeffler. She is an accomplished business owner, but politics is a different game. The same could be said for Derek Dooley and his coaching career. Sure, he understands football, but can he communicate and persuade?
Trump endorsement does not guarantee a win in Ga.
Similarly, you have seen President Donald Trump wade into Georgia politics with more than a handful of losses. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones thrives with a Trump endorsement, but I can name plenty of others who did not.
Credit: hand
Credit: hand
I give both of those examples to say neither the president nor the governor always has the silver bullet with respect to candidate selection.
I believe President Trump will support Rep. Mike Collins. Collins is a savvy social media darling. Collins has a blue-collar background; he may win the nomination. Can Collins captivate metro Atlanta? That is a constituency that may give him problems.
Sen. Ossoff is a gifted communicator. I have many friends in your local city hall who know Ossoff and his team firsthand. He bends over backward for their shared constituents — even those in Republican strongholds.
In LaFayette, Ossoff delivered $6.2 million to revitalize their downtown. In Toccoa, he delivered $8.4 million to replace a gas line. That does not always make news, but main streets know. You can say, well, he is wrong for his stance on boys playing girls’ sports. You can criticize his funding of the war in Ukraine. You can say Ossoff was weak on the Mexico border. He deserves to face that criticism. He can also point to a lot of little wins on Main Street.
Epstein saga casts a pall on the Republicans’ 2026 prospects
Ossoff wakes up on general election day with 45% to 47% of the vote. That means he needs only a few percentage points to cross the finish line. Metro Atlanta will matter as much in the 2026 cycle as it ever has.
President Trump ran a flawless campaign in 2024, but governing and campaigning are different. Trump’s numbers are declining among independent voters. Moms in minivans cannot stand the president. The Jeffrey Epstein saga was not even on their radar last year, but it is now, and Republicans know it.
You have seen Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace cosponsor legislation to release the Epstein files (House Resolution 581). They know that harboring information on Epstein is a problem. If Collins is not on the cosponsored list of names to release the Epstein files, he will hear about that in a general election.
The American public loathes the fact that your members of Congress can sit in closed-door meetings with CEOs and then subsequently place stock trades based on privileged information. The former speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi, has returns that make most hedge funds jealous. Ossoff has found an issue that is more popular with the American people than disallowing boys to play in girls’ sports. It is an issue with a growing profile.
Neither Trump nor Kemp possesses the magic pill for the Georgia GOP. They both know how to win, but picking other horses? They have both missed the mark at times. The margin for beating Sen. Ossoff is razor thin. The Republican primary needs a well-funded candidate who is genuinely their own person.
Most of us do not belong to the country club of political circles. Independence, sound conservatism and kitchen table issues — that is the meal ticket. If metro Atlanta does not strongly support the Republican nominee, the country club of politics may cost Republicans, yet again.
Ben Burnett is a business owner and former member of the Alpharetta City Council. He is a Republican and a regular contributor to the AJC.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
