After Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp passed on a Senate run last month, state Republicans are desperately waiting on President Donald Trump to send them a signal about his top choice.
In conversations with more than half a dozen Republicans in the Georgia delegation, nearly every member said they had no plans to endorse a candidate right now or until Trump taps who he wants to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
But between the Israel-Iran war, the reconciliation slog on Capitol Hill and a host of other domestic and global issues on Trump’s plate, the Georgia Senate race may not be top of mind for the president. And the delegation is getting antsy.
“We’ll see what the field looks like,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) told us. “I’m not going to endorse anybody yet.”
Currently, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and state insurance commissioner John King are the big names in the primary field. But neither has ignited much excitement among their colleagues.
Others who could enter the race said they want to see if Trump asks them to run before deciding.
“I’m trying to figure out if this is the right time,” Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) said. “All options are open.”
Sources close to Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), another possible contender, said he is still considering whether to enter the race. But Collins has been playing up his ties to Trump, including authoring the Laken Riley Act – the first bill Trump signed into law this term.
Carter, meanwhile, brushed off concerns that he’s not a top contender, citing his internal polls. Carter told us his team is frequently in touch with Trump’s camp, though Carter admitted it had been “a little while” since he last directly spoke to the president.
“We got to do what we got to do,” Carter, who’s labeling himself a “MAGA warrior,” said. “We’re focused on our part of it and that’s all we can do right now.”
The Kemp factor: Kemp bowed out of a Senate run, but GOP campaign operatives say his opinion will matter almost as much as Trump when it comes to greenlighting the hopeful nominee.
The popular Georgia governor was seen as the best contender to topple Ossoff, the most vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection next year.
Kemp has also asked top donors to hold off on backing anyone in the current field until a consensus candidate emerges, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kemp and Trump met on May 10 to talk about the field.
Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said Kemp and Trump will work hand in hand to find the best candidate. Scott also said he has no plans to endorse until then.
“If the two of them endorse the same person, the nomination will be pretty much over with,” Scott said.
Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee disputes the notion by Democrats that Ossoff has an edge now due to a weakened GOP primary field.
Nick Puglia, NRSC spokesperson, tied Ossoff to an extreme liberal agenda and said Republicans “are laser focused on defeating the most vulnerable Senator on the map.”
