BURSTRep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) launched his candidacy for Senate in Georgia, the first of possibly several Republicans officially seeking to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff (D).
“Georgians will have a very simple choice in 2026: do you want a MAGA warrior for you or do you want a trans warrior for they/them? I’m with you. You can guess where Jon Ossoff is. Game on,” Carter said in a post on X on Thursday.
Carter’s announcement comes after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) made a much-anticipated decision against running for Senate in 2026. The popular two-term governor's decision was a blow to Republicans as he was seen as the strongest opponent against Ossoff.
Without Kemp in the race, attention turns to several possible candidates who may be looking at running including GOP Reps. Mike Collins, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rich McCormick and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R).
Carter’s announcement video said Georgia “spoke” in favor of President Trump in the November election, but Ossoff “doesn’t care.” It slammed Ossoff for votes against legislation that would have increased funding for border security and that would have banned schools receiving federal funding from allowing transgender women to participate in women's sports.
“Jon Ossoff is on the wrong side. Trump has a warrior in Buddy Carter,” the narrator states before the ad shows Trump praising the congressman. “Buddy helped Trump secure our border and put America first.”
Ossoff, a Democratic senator in a state that Trump carried, will be a top target for the GOP in next year’s midterms.
The Senate Democrats’ campaign arm was quick to denounce Carter’s candidacy, saying he “is kicking off a messy, divisive primary in Georgia that will expose their flawed candidates and leave them with a damaged nominee.”
The group said in a statement that Ossoff is “a champion for Georgians and we are confident he will hold this seat in 2026.”
Greene, who has said she’s considering a run of her own, said she isn’t worried about a potentially messy Republican primary in response to Carter’s announcement.
“If I were to get in, I’m not concerned about it at all,” she told reporters. “Every single poll shows that I overwhelmingly win.”
Julia Manchester contributed.