Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has decided not to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) in 2026, dealing a major blow to the GOP’s hopes of flipping Ossoff’s toss-up seat.
Kemp, a popular two-term governor, led Ossoff in preliminary polling and performed better than other potential Republican candidates. His decision not to run could induce a competitive primary, potentially featuring firebrand Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) and other candidates.
“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. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family,” Kemp said in a statement shared on X.
“After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.”
At the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in March, Kemp told NR’s Jim Geraghty that he had not yet decided on a run and would make a final decision after the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga.
Kemp easily defeated prominent Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams in the 2022 midterms, 53.4 percent to 45.9 percent, on the back of a strong state economy and his refusal to go along with President Donald Trump’s falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election. In the 2022 GOP primary, Kemp smashed Trump-backed former Senator David Perdue, making him the rare Republican to publicly defy Trump and remain a political force.
In 2018, Kemp defeated Abrams 50.2 percent to 49.8 percent in a narrow, hotly contested race that Abrams refused to concede. She falsely claimed the election was stolen and became a Democratic political star before losing to Kemp easily four years later.
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Kemp and Trump’s sour relationship appeared to sweeten as Trump sought to win the toss-up Peach State. Kemp backed Trump in the 2024 general election after declining to vote for him in Georgia’s GOP primary last year. Trump remained critical of Kemp into August 2024 when he attacked him at a rally in Atlanta and on social media.
The two subsequently eased tensions and appeared together leading up to the election, with Trump taking advantage of Kemp’s statewide popularity. Trump ended up carrying Georgia against former Vice President Kamala Harris in what was a definitive electoral triumph this past November.
“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,” Kemp added.
“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.”
Kemp gained prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic for deciding to keep Georgia’s lockdowns minimal, a move that garnered intense criticism at the time but saved many businesses in a state and won plaudits among conservatives. His actions were later vindicated when Covid-19 lockdowns were shown to caused immense damage to social and emotional wellbeing while only showing limited effectiveness in limiting the pandemic’s spread.
Kemp previously passed into a law a six week abortion ban as governor and defended the law in 2023 when Trump criticized it for being too harsh. Last month, Kemp signed the largest income tax cut in Georgia state history paired with legislation to deliver $1 billion worth of tax rebates for Georgians, adding to his list of conservative achievements.
Ossoff, a first-term Democratic incumbent, has been taunting Greene online amid rumors she will enter the race and fill the MAGA lane. Greene would likely receive support from Trump and many other influential MAGA allies, potentially tipping a GOP primary in her favor despite unfavorable polling against Ossoff.
Ossoff’s seat is considered one of the most competitive of the 2026 election cycle, a midterm expected to be favorable to Democrats because of backlash to Trump’s agenda and historical political trends. In 2021, Ossoff defeated Perdue to win his senate seat after Trump discouraged supporters from voting because he erroneously believed the 2020 presidential election in Georgia was rigged against him.