Has Brian Kemp Lost the Plot on Georgia’s Senate Race?

If you’re familiar with my work here at PJ Media, you know that I’m a big fan of Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.). He’s been an excellent governor, and Georgia has seen a ton of conservative victories under his leadership.

I’m also a massive booster of Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), who is running for the U.S. Senate to defeat incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff. Collins has been an asset to the 10th District, where I live, and to Congress as a whole. He has supported President Donald Trump every step of the way, and his signature legislation, the Laken Riley Act, demonstrates his passion for putting America first.

For some reason, Kemp is backing Derek Dooley, a former football coach who has had no political inclinations in the past, for the Senate race. I’ll speculate more on that later on, but Kemp’s Hardworking Americans PAC is bankrolling Dooley’s campaign and pushing a barrage of ads on streaming platforms.

The governor made a curious remark during a recent call with donors. The leaked audio has Kemp telling donors that he doesn’t think that Collins or Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) have what it takes to defeat Ossoff because — get this — they support Trump.

“To defeat a Democratic incumbent who has and will have unlimited resources in a midterm election, another congressman from a heavily, heavy Republican district with a congressional voting record isn't gonna work,” Kemp told donors.

“I know and respect both Congressmen Carter and Collins,” he continued. “This is not an attack on them; it's just the way that I feel. Ossoff, as you all know, will have hundreds of millions of dollars to define anybody's voting record in the worst possible light.”

This demonstrates two things that make me wonder if the governor has lost his ever-loving mind. First, his remarks sound like he doesn’t trust Trump, his supporters, and MAGA to deliver. Second, it sounds like he doesn’t have any faith in Georgia’s voters to make the right decision.

There’s no doubt that Ossoff will throw everything he can at Collins or Carter to disparage their MAGA records. But why doesn’t Kemp see that Ossoff will also attack Dooley for saying he supports Trump — or for his total lack of political experience?

The endless Dooley ads highlight his “outsider” status, which is an understatement because Dooley declined to vote in most elections throughout his coaching career. But the images and video that Hardworking Americans is using to promote Dooley use an interesting phrase, given Kemp’s statement to donors: “PRO-TRUMP.”

Career politicians like Jon Ossoff turn their backs on what makes Georgia strong; faith, hard work, and standing our ground.

Derek Dooley is cut from a different cloth.

He’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, fight for YOU, and always put Georgia first.
— Hardworking Americans Inc. (@HW_Americans) August 14, 2025

A recent email referred to Dooley, who has a lifetime head coaching record of 32-41, as a “new champion” for Trump:

How can a proven pro-Trump record be a liability at the same time when you’re hyping the hell out of your candidate’s support for the man you say will drag other candidates down? It just doesn’t make sense, especially when Dooley doesn’t have a legislative record to back up his pro-Trump claims.

The Hardworking Americans website features articles touting Kemp as an alternative to Trumpian conservatism. Granted, these pieces date to the days before Kemp and Trump buried the hatchet in time for the 2024 election, but it’s a weird flex to highlight that media coverage while stumping for a candidate by emphasizing his support for Trump. It’s like Kemp is putting himself ahead of the people, which is off-brand for him.

I can’t help but wonder why Kemp is so high on Dooley. Did he make a promise to the late University of Georgia football coaching legend Vince Dooley, Derek’s father, before Vince died? Did he make a promise to Barbara Dooley, Vince’s widow, who hosted a conservative news-talk show in Athens for years? That UGA connection is the only thing I can wrap my head around, but I also learned today that Kemp's daughter and son-in-law are working for the Dooley campaign.

Regardless of the reasons, Kemp is backing the wrong horse in this race. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Mike Collins is the man to beat Ossoff. It’s just a shame that a normally astute political mind like Kemp can’t see that.

This story about Gov. Brian Kemp backing Derek Dooley over proven America First conservatives like Rep. Mike Collins is too important to ignore.

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