Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will not run for Senate in 2026, according to three people familiar with his decision. The popular Republican would have been a prime recruit against first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
“I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family,” Kemp said in a statement posted on X. “I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November.”
Without Kemp in the race, Republicans may face an unpredictable primary that could include divisive candidates like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“It’s like wow, not necessarily the news we wanted to hear,” said former Cobb County GOP chair Jason Shepherd.
Kemp had been seen by many Republicans as the strongest opponent to put up against Ossoff. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll last week showed Kemp and Ossoff within the poll’s margin of error. President Donald Trump carried the state by about 2 percentage points in November, and it is a top target of Republicans in the midterms.
Kemp’s decision comes after Ossoff last month reported raising $11 million in the first quarter of the year, an enormous sum for a Senate incumbent in an off year.
The Senate map otherwise looked favorable to Republicans, with few incumbent GOP senators facing tough races next November. Democrats, meanwhile, have seen several senior senators retire this cycle, including in New Hampshire and Michigan.
