The Republican field for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2026 may be wide open after the man considered the leading candidate chose not to run.
Gov. Brian Kemp, whose term in office ends in 2026, posted on his X account that he is declining to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Jon Ossoff.
“Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the US Senate in 2026,” Kemp posted. “I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family. After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.”
Democrats won back both of Georgia’s Senate seats in 2020, and Raphael Warnock fended off a challenge from football star Herschel Walker in 2022 to retain his seat. Warnock won in 2020 in a runoff against incumbent Kelly Loeffler, who Kemp appointed to fill in for Johnny Isakson. Isakson resigned his seat in 2019, citing his declining health, and died in 2021.
Ossoff, who previously had run for the U.S. House 6th District seat, toppled incumbent David Perdue in a runoff. Perdue garnered the most votes in the November general election, but under Georgia’s laws, a majority of votes must be attained. Perdue fell less than 14,000 votes short, out of more than 4.95 million ballots cast, of getting the 50% plus one needed to avoid a runoff.
Ossoff, who trailed by 88,000 votes in the general election, won the runoff by nearly 55,000 votes. His and Warnock’s wins put the Senate at 50-50 during the Biden administration, and Democrats held the tie-breaker with Vice President Kamala Harris as the presiding officer of the Senate.
The GOP, following the 2024 general election, has a 53-47 edge in the Senate. Analysts and GOP party faithful have seen Ossoff’s seat as vulnerable, and Kemp said he will work with fellow Republicans to win the seat back to the GOP column.
President Donald Trump won Georgia by more than 100,000 votes in 2024. Kemp won his first team as governor in 2018 by less than 1.4% over Democrat Stacey Abrams, but won re-election in 2022 more convincingly, with a 7.6% spread.
Kemp was Georgia secretary of state for eight years before running for governor. Kemp, who came to Long County in March, was asked about the prospect of running for U.S. Senate. He said at the time he had not decided on a Senate run.
“I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November, and ultimately be a conservative voice in the US Senate who will put hardworking Georgians first,” he posted. “I am confident we will be united in that important effort, and I look forward to electing the next generation of leaders up and down the ballot here in the Peach State who will keep our state and nation headed in the right direction in 2026 and beyond.”