Republicans are waiting with bated breath to see if term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) decides to launch a bid against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in 2026.
Georgia is one of Republicans’ best Senate pickup opportunities, but the field remains frozen as Kemp considers a run. The race will be one of the nation’s most-watched, and a competitive GOP primary is likely to unfold if Kemp opts out of challenging Ossoff.
Barred from seeking another term, the popular Georgia governor has recently started seriously evaluating a Senate bid now that the legislative session is over, according to a source familiar with his thinking.
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) sat down with Kemp in Atlanta, joined by National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) in an attempt to lobby the two-term Republican governor to run. Republicans have spent months urging Kemp to run, with Scott calling him the party’s “top recruit” in an interview with Semafor.
“Kemp is the best option we have. That said, if Kemp doesn’t run, it makes things more difficult not just for the Senate race, but down the entire ballot in Georgia,” said a national GOP operative who was granted permission to speak anonymously.
Another GOP operative familiar with Senate campaigns said Kemp seems closer than ever to entering the race, noting his recent meetings with senators and party leaders. However, the operative acknowledged that persuading him to jump in would still be a major challenge.
Georgia Republicans believe their counterparts in Washington are clinging to optimism about Kemp entering the race, projecting confidence publicly even as it drifts further from political reality.
“I think there has been a little bit of this disconnect between folks here in Georgia who know the governor and folks in D.C. In D.C., they just assumed he was going to do it — then maybe thought he wasn’t and after the Thune meeting, they’ve all convinced themselves he’s going to do it again,” said a Republican strategist based in Georgia, speaking on background.
Kemp’s political rise has been anything but easy. He vaulted from underdog to governor in 2018, beat Democrat Stacey Abrams in a high-profile showdown, steered Georgia through COVID-19, and withstood fierce attacks from President Donald Trump over the 2020 election. After surviving a Trump-backed primary challenge and winning reelection by seven points, Kemp emerged as one of the GOP’s most battle-tested figures, making the prospect of joining the Senate a very different decision.
“Everything he’s been through as governor, making all those decisions, getting through all of that on his own, to then, you know, going and being one of 100, it’s just a tough proposition,” the GOP strategist said. “I just don’t think he’s one of a 100 kind of guy. I think that transition from being the Chief Executive Officer of one of the largest states in the country to being one of 100 is really hard.”
Kemp’s relationship with Trump has been rocky ever since Kemp refused to help overturn former President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in Georgia — a move that made him a frequent target of Trump’s ire. However, tensions have eased: The two appeared together during the 2024 campaign, and Kemp recently hosted Trump at a Republican Governors Association meeting. Still, whether Trump would endorse Kemp if he decides to enter the Senate race remains unclear.
Another Georgia Republican operative familiar with Senate campaigns also cast doubt on the idea of Kemp running.
“Most people that you talk to here are increasingly skeptical of the idea that he is going to run. I don’t know if that comes down to the idea that he doesn’t want to be a senator, or if he wants to run for something else,” the operative said.
Kemp has indicated he is open to a possible 2028 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. He is currently chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Several Georgia Republicans are positioning themselves for a possible Senate run as Kemp deliberates his next move. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) has hinted he might enter the race if Kemp steps aside, while Reps. Rich McCormick (R-GA) and Mike Collins (R-GA) told Fox News they are keeping their options open. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has not ruled out a run either.
In February, State Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper shared on X that he met with the NRSC and Insurance Commissioner John King told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year that he would seriously consider a campaign — but only if Kemp chooses not to run.
“There’s no question that Kemp is the strongest candidate to take on Ossoff. But if he decides not to run, I don’t think that means Ossoff is inevitable. There’s a wide variety of candidates who could beat Ossoff,” the Georgia GOP operative said.
However, several involved in Georgia GOP circles are playing down the possibility that Greene will actually get into the Senate race, citing her lack of campaign funds, poor standing among Georgia Republicans, and a likely disastrous general election performance.
“She is the nightmare scenario that should give every Republican in the state and everybody in DC a lot of heartburn, because if she somehow gets in the race, it’s just going to be a disaster,” the GOP strategist said. “It would be a dumpster fire full of gasoline with grenades on it — it would be like Herschel Walker 2.0.”
Some Republicans on the ground worry that if Greene isn’t neutralized early, the race could quickly turn chaotic. They believe the best chance to defeat Ossoff is with a swift, decisive primary shaped by Trump’s endorsement — if Kemp decides to sit out the race.
Georgia has cemented its place at the center of the national political map, and Ossoff is already sprinting toward a fierce 2026 battle. The one-term senator has hauled in over $11 million in the first quarter alone, outpacing other Senate incumbents nationwide and signaling the high stakes ahead.
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NRSC spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement to the Washington Examiner, “Republicans are working as one team with President Trump to deliver for the American people, protect and grow our Majority in 2026.”
Kemp’s office did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.