Kemp’s Decision Leaves Republicans Scrambling in Georgia

In a major blow to Republicans’ chances of flipping Georgia’s Senate seat from Democrat to Republican, Governor Brian Kemp has announced on X that he will not run for Senate in Georgia.

This is a significant setback for the GOP. Kemp is generally considered to be a successful Republican governor in a state that has become increasingly Democratic over the past decade.

Kemp is a somewhat controversial figure within the MAGA movement, with some Trump supporters believing he allowed the state to be “stolen” from Trump in 2020.

Kemp’s supporters and allies in Georgia have dismissed those claims as conspiracy theories. His relationship with Trump has never been strong, though it was cordial enough for Trump to carry the state in 2024.

With Kemp not running, Republicans may want to consider redirecting their resources to a different state.

While Trump was able to flip Georgia back in 2024, the state did not shift to the right as much as the rest of the country did. The Atlanta suburbs continue to trend leftward—an area of demographic growth in the state.

Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who is up for re-election in 2026, now becomes the favorite to retain the seat without Kemp in the race.

Unless Republicans can recruit an impressive candidate out of the blue, it looks like Georgia is likely going to stay blue in the Senate.