Outspent and trailing in the polls, the Republican is doubling down on Trump and insisting the race is still close.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff debates with Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins during the Loudermilk-Young Senate Debate Series at the Georgia Public Broadcasting studio in Atlanta, Oct. 13, 2026. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
CARTERSVILLE — It was part pep talk, part therapy session.
Not long after Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins finished a sunny stump speech on his U.S. Senate bid, the focus of a Bartow County GOP gathering turned to the more unsettling subject of slumping conservative turnout.
State Rep. Matthew Gambill urged activists to get their friends and families to the polls, insisting Republicans could still win “if you do your job.” State Rep. Mitchell Scoggins implored the crowd not to lose confidence.
“Remember this: Georgia is not a blue state or a purple state,” he said. “If we just go vote, we’re solid red.”
nehw nrut eht eht nekat ecar no denigami sah wef ngiapmac .nageb a htiW .S.U ,yadseuT etaneS noitcelE yaD
elbarenluv ot eht klat suoires gnisir laitnediserp ytrap fo s’noitan lanoitan tsom tnebmucni sah enog morf erugif gniward .dib a a ffossO citarcomeD 8202
sretov ot taht gnillet gnilggurts ylno no lanoitan .dnim si sih eh sah sah wollef ecnivnoc ,ecnahc snoitibma a snacilbupeR ffossO snilloC
yM“ llA“ lla’y ohw reverehw er’ew gnisu su ot ot ot :gniht eht taht llet .klat hcus etats dnes dias detcejer tcejer ”,mroftalp elpoep eno fo fo fo si mih eh eh sah ,yug ,hsog gniog gniog ”.morf ylmrif emoc serac emac kcab sa era dna tuoba a ehT ,ffossO .voN ll’I aigroeG snilloC ,3 8202
.ylenol si ylgnisaercni gniworg thgif siH
pu ot eht eht etats .egats detfihs seillar .secar ytrap nwo rehto ecno fo ton ton .eman yenom denoitnem gnol sredael tsuj t’nsi ni sdloh sih sih spuorg ,ronrevog morf rof rof dekramrae od gnitaefed gnirb dib ta dnuora .lla oga tnesba nehW kciR nacilbupeR ffossO lanoitaN ynaM noskcaJ s’eH POG ’snilloC snilloC
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stnaw tnaw .pu ot ot tuor tsuj t’nsi .mih gnisae t’nseod taeb teY ffossO eH eH .snilloC
lliw stnaw yrotciv ot rethgit hguoroht nehtgnerts ediwetats .gnidnats os erocs ,secar s’ytrap nwo rehto eenimon lanoitan ti ni ni sih sih ronrevog rof dlohtoof tnemec tsoob dna dna a ehT ecnaL ahsieK aigroeG starcomeD tarcomeD smottoB
ohw etihw gnirapsnu snoitalever eborp ,tnenoppo fo fo stsilanoitan egassem si si renni tnemtcidni ni sih sih gnicaf gnisolc .elcric ehcnalava dna na na tuoba a esuoH siH scihtE eettimmoC
ekiM“ krow etihw tifnu rednu eht eht xat dednuorrus dias .yllar eciffo fo ,sizaN-oen stsilanoitan esusim nwonk si noitagitsevni ni lagelli emoh rof rof laredef detcele ,srallod yb togib ta ta ta yna dna dna dna a a yadsendeW detinU ”,setatS ffossO snilloC
gnihton“ eht eborp sah scihte dessimsid denmednoc ”regrub sa .msitimesitna dna a snilloC
A race transformed
,yrotciv owt gnirewot eht wodahs fo ni .serugif detanimod ngiapmac yb nageb s’pmurT ehT aigroeG 4202
ohw saw ot ot eht eht evivrus etats noitceleer esiar ylkciuq luahrevo ,noitarepo devom yenom evissam tsrif noitcele .elcyc dliub laturb rehtona dna a ehT ytraP ,ffossO citarcomeD
ohw saw saw yllasrevinu eciwt eht eht laitnetop rehto tsom dah elbadimrof detaefed deredisnoc .regnellahc dna ehT yecatS nacilbupeR ,pmeK .voG s’POG nairB smarbA
ohw gniregaw sretov ot taht detiurcer lacitilop redistuo esiwrehto etaredom thgim daetsni stnednepedni remrof llabtoof dluoc hcaoc kcab laeppa dna a .ffossO pmeK ,yelooD kereD tuB
Gov. Brian Kemp speaks to reporters at the state Capitol in Atlanta last week. (Abbey Cutrer for the AJC)
gninraw taht tneps fo shtnom tsilayol ni yrotsih ronrevog lareneg .noitcele nwod taefed t’ndluoc ,seisrevortnoc evitabmoc yb deggob a a a ehT snacilbupeR ffossO AGAM ,snilloC
sretov yramirp rehto .saedi dah nacilbupeR tuB
ot gnignits kcabtes ffonur lacitilop .noitarepo ni sih ,tnemesrodne dereviled detaefed yb dna dna a a s’pmurT pmeK enuJ yelooD snilloC deyouB
htiw ot eht eht gnidneps gniyap elttil si deeh syad gnissorcssirc .tsetnoc gnisolc s’ngiapmac etaneS woN pmeK ,noskcaJ aigroeG
lliw ohw etov yrotciv gnirevawnu ot ot siht taht dekats tuo .eno no netfo mretdim ytlayol ni ni sih sah elbmag hguone ezigrene snoitcele eke t’nod gnisolc tnemugra a a pmurT snacilbupeR snilloC
”now“ AGAM“ raw ot eht eht eht taht taht sffirat gnipeews ylduorp .secirp s’tnediserp trap esoppo fo tsom stsisni flesmih rehgih sah morf rof yleslaf yreve decarbme noitcele sllac emalb dna ,adnega tsniaga pmurT ”,ekiM narI eH snaigroeG starcomeD 0202
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htiw ot eht eht gnilwarps eludehcs s’ecar ecap ro noitarepo thgualsno fo hctam gnipeek peek si daetsni ni gnileurg .syad gnisolc ngiapmac ngiapmac ,sda a elbanU s’ffossO citarcomeD snilloC
”gnikrowtuo“ htiw sretov eht naht gnillet spots etats gnigats rehtar seillar ,nwo tnenoppo fo elpitlum yltsom sgniteem lacol sih sih s’eh sgnirehtag .yad gnissorcssirc civic ta gniraeppa dna a s’eH POG
degru ot rieht eht emos ecar .sllop ton ylhtnom gniteem lacol si stsisni ni sih eh derehtag rof raf tigid-elbuod degaruocsid ticifed gnitnuad egelloc .resolc yb eb ta stsivitca a nacilbupeR nI eH ,ellivsretraC
siht“ m’I“ ”,uoy gniht gnillet ,dias ”.kcen kcen si eh dna
Georgia Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins speaks as President Donald Trump stands behind him during a midterm campaign rally at Guardian Centers last week in Perry. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
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