Republicans are still really worried about beating Jon Ossoff

Georgia Republicans finally have their Senate nominee. Now comes the hard part. A bruised GOP Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) will go head to head against Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, a prolific fundraiser who many Republicans worry will be difficult to beat this November. While Republicans spent months turning their fire on each other, Ossoff has steadily built his campaign infrastructure — and refined his general election message. “Anyone who's being honest knows it's going to be a very tough race to unseat Jon Ossoff. All the polling shows Georgia as leaning Democrat, not toss-up," Jason Shepherd, the former Cobb County Republican chair, told POLITICO before the Tuesday result. He had supported Collins’ opponent, former football coach Derek Dooley. Heading into the midterms, Ossoff was widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic candidates in a state Trump handily won in 2024. But since then, the senator has stockpiled mountains of cash, sailed through his primary unchallenged, and has positioned himself as someone who stays above the fray of partisan cable news hits. “Ossoff is tricky, he's good at raising money, he does not step in it,” said one senior RNC official before the runoff, granted anonymity to speak candidly about the midterm landscape. The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the cycle. Holding onto Ossoff’s seat is key to Democrats’ narrow path to winning back control of the Senate, while Republicans see flipping it as one of their best opportunities to expand their majority. The state has also become one of the country’s premier battlegrounds, serving as an early test of the forces — and people — that could shape 2028. Several Republican strategists and operatives say that some of Collins’ hardline policy stances, plus an ongoing House ethics investigation against him, may make him vulnerable to Democrats’ attacks. They also worry Collins has a lot of catching up to do in the money race. Collins