Derek Dooley's Chances of Beating Jon Ossoff in Georgia Senate Race
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Derek Dooley, the former University of Tennessee football coach, jumped into the battleground Georgia Senate race on Monday as Republicans hope to flip the seat held by Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Why It Matters
Georgia's Senate race is set to be among the most competitive of the 2026 midterms as Ossoff is defending a seat in the state narrowly won by President Donald Trump last November. Holding onto the seat is key for Democrats, who are hoping to reclaim a majority in the Senate amid hopes of a 2018-style "blue wave" that could carry them to victory across the country despite a challenging map.
Republicans are hopeful that candidates like Dooley could make the race difficult for Ossoff. Dooley has ties to Governor Brian Kemp, a popular Republican who opted against running despite being viewed as a potentially strong GOP candidate.
Senator Jon Ossoff, left, questions a witness during a Senate hearing on July 9, 2025, in Washington. Derek Dooley, right, attends an NCAA college football practice on August 12, 2019, in Columbia, Missouri.
Senator Jon Ossoff, left, questions a witness during a Senate hearing on July 9, 2025, in Washington. Derek Dooley, right, attends an NCAA college football practice on August 12, 2019, in Columbia, Missouri.
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File andfor Breakthrough T1D
What To Know
Dooley launched his campaign with a "Georgia First" message, a riff on MAGA's "America First" slogan.
"Leadership matters," Dooley wrote in a statement. "Our state doesn't have a voice in the U.S. Senate who reflects Georgia values because Ossoff is more concerned with protecting his own political future, opposing everything the Trump Administration is working to accomplish, and repeatedly voting with the extreme left."
So far, only one poll of the race has included Dooley. The Cygnal poll, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, showed Ossoff with a narrow lead over Dooley. The initial ballot showed Ossoff up by nine points (50 percent to 41 percent), but an informed ballot showed a closer race, with Ossoff up about three points (47 percent to 44 percent).
The same poll showed Ossoff leading Representative Buddy Carter by about seven points (49 percent to 42 percent) on an initial ballot and three points (47 percent to 44 percent) in an informed ballot. He led Insurance Commissioner John King by about 10 points on an uninformed ballot (50 percent to 40 percent), but they tied on an informed ballot at 45.9 percent support.
The poll surveyed 610 likely voters from June 16-18 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.92 percentage points.
William Hatcher, chair and professor of social sciences at Augusta University, told Newsweek that Dooley's strength is "unclear."
"In recent years, we've seen well-known football players and coaches enter politics in the South. Some are successful like Tommy Tuberville wining the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, and others are not like Herschel Walker losing the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia in 2022," he said. "Dooley will have more name recognition than other candidates, which will be a strength for him out of the gate."
Regardless of who wins the primary, the race will be "a very competitive contest," Hatcher said.
Kalshi betting odds give Ossoff an advantage ahead of the midterms. Democrats have a 73 percent chance of winning to the Republicans' 27 percent, according to the betting market.
The Georgia Democratic Party responded to Dooley's candidacy in a statement.
"This chaotic, crowded Republican primary just got messier with the entrance of failed and fired former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who has failed to live up to his family name throughout his career," Georgia Democratic Chair Charlie Bailey wrote in the statement. "We'll see what's harder for Dooley—answering for a Trump bill that strips health care for 750,000 Georgians, or remembering which SEC team to root for."
The Ossoff and Dooley campaigns pointed to public statements when reached by Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle, in a statement: "The latest addition to Georgia's messy and chaotic GOP primary is a failed football coach who has only ever spoken out to cheerlead Medicaid cuts that hurt Georgians. As this primary gets even more crowded and devolves into a proxy war between President Trump and Governor Kemp, Senator Ossoff is fighting for working families in Georgia and will hold his seat in 2026."
Derek Dooley, in a statement: "I'm not part of the political establishment, and I haven't spent my life climbing the D.C. political ladder. For thirty years, I led young people from all walks of life and fought every day to create hope and opportunity for them and their families. The foundation of football is the American Spirit. You work hard, you play by the rules, you keep fighting when adversity hits—you have a fair shot at achieving your dreams. As a coach, I wanted that for all my players. As your next U.S. Senator, I want that for all Georgians—and all Americans."
What Happens Next
Candidates may still jump in over the coming months, and more polling could come out and indicate how competitive the race may become. The Cook Political Report currently rates Georgia as a toss-up for 2026.
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