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Kemp won’t run for Senate in 2026, a major blow to Republican efforts to unseat vulnerable Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Brian Kemp passes on Senate run

Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp won’t run for Senate in 2026, a major blow to Republican efforts to unseat vulnerable Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.).

Kemp said on Monday that running for Senate “is not the right decision for me and my family” but committed to working with the GOP “to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win.”

Kemp, a popular two-term governor, posed a formidable threat to Ossoff. In a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll, Kemp was the only Republican who ran ahead of Ossoff.

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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. Political ads courtesy of AdImpact.

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