Georgia Republican Senate Runoff Highlights Collins and Dooley Showdown

Republican Representative Mike Collins of Georgia will face former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley in a runoff election. The primary election earlier this month did not produce a candidate with 50 percent of the vote, necessitating a runoff to determine the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.

A recent poll by JMC Analytics and Polling reveals Collins holds a substantial lead over Dooley. When respondents were asked about their choice if the runoff were held currently, 50 percent favored Collins, while 36 percent supported Dooley and 15 percent remained undecided.

The winner between Collins and Dooley will compete against Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November’s significant senatorial race in Georgia. Newsweek contacted both campaigns for comment via email on Friday.

Poll Insights

The JMC Analytics and Polling survey conducted on May 26 and May 27 included 600 respondents regarding the Georgia Republican runoff. The poll displays a margin of error of 4 percent.

When prompted as undecided voters about leaning towards a candidate, 39 percent indicated Collins, 27 percent mentioned Dooley, and 34 percent remained undecided. In a forced choice scenario, Collins obtained 55 percent, Dooley secured 39 percent, with 7 percent still uncertain.

Collins achieved a 61 percent favorability rating against an 18 percent unfavorable rating. Among respondents, 21 percent expressed no opinion, and 1 percent had never heard of him. For Dooley, the favorability rating stood at 50 percent, with an unfavorable rating of 19 percent. Around 28 percent expressed no opinion, and 2 percent were unfamiliar with him.

Georgia’s Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, has endorsed Dooley after opting out of the Senate race himself. President Donald Trump has yet to endorse any candidate officially.

Insights from Additional Polls

According to Quantus Insights following the primary, Collins garnered 53.5 percent compared to Dooley’s 37.2 percent. Conducted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 20, the poll involved 782 likely Republican Georgia primary voters. Results were weighted to align with a modeled Republican runoff electorate, with an effective sample size of 739 and a margin of error of 3.9 percent.

Another survey by InsiderAdvantage taken after the primary shows Collins with 46 percent of the vote, Dooley with 41 percent, and 13 percent undecided. Conducted on May 20 and 21, this poll involved 800 likely voters and a margin of error of 3.46 percent.

InsiderAdvantage Pollster Matt Towery remarked on the potential for low voter turnout in the gubernatorial and Senate runoff elections. He highlighted the importance for candidates to target dedicated Republican voters who consistently engage in political processes. While Burt Jones benefits from Donald Trump’s endorsement, Collins may have an advantage due to his longstanding Georgia GOP involvement. This dynamic could be complicated by Governor Kemp’s influential political network and endorsement of Dooley.