Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) announced a campaign to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) from one of the Democrats’ most vulnerable seats.
Carter, a six-term incumbent, launched his Senate campaign with a “MAGA Warrior” ad Thursday morning, touting his ties to President Donald Trump. The congressman argued that Ossoff is out of touch with Georgia voters, who reelected Trump by more than 2 percentage points last November. This was a shift from the 2020 election, in which Trump lost the Peach State.
“Last November, Georgia spoke, but Jon Ossoff doesn’t care. He fought against President Trump, securing our border, and voted for men in girls sports,” a narrator says in the campaign ad. “Jon Ossoff is on the wrong side. Trump has a warrior in Buddy Carter. … Buddy helped Trump secure our border and put America first. And he knows the difference between a man and a woman.”
Carter’s announcement comes as Georgia is seen as one of Republicans’ best Senate pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterm elections. Carter is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Budget Committee, and he was the mayor of Pooler and a member of the Georgia General Assembly.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), viewed by many as the most formidable contender to take on Ossoff, announced he would not run for the seat this week, opening the door for other candidates such as Carter to take the lead.
Others mulling a run include Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rich McCormick (R-GA), Mike Collins (R-GA), state Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, and Insurance Commissioner John King.
“A Senate run is something I’m considering, and I’m thankful to have such great support all over the state of Georgia,” Greene said Wednesday.
MTG FUELS SPECULATION OF 2026 SENATE RUN AGAINST OSSOFF
Whoever runs against Carter in the primary will have to engage in an all-out battle to win Trump’s endorsement. Several candidates, including Carter and Greene, have long touted their ties to the president.
This year, Carter has introduced several bills aligning with Trump’s agenda, including legislation that would authorize the president to acquire Greenland and rename it “Red, White, and Blueland.” Another bill would install a national sales tax, abolish the IRS, repeal the federal income tax, and require illegal immigrants to pay taxes.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
