The son of legendary Georgia football coach Vince Dooley is weighing a run against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff, a move that could shake up one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the nation.
Derek Dooley, former Tennessee head football coach whose father Vince was a University of Georgia icon, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday he’ll make his decision whether to enter the Republican primary in the coming weeks.
“Georgia deserves stronger, common-sense leadership in the U.S. Senate that represents all Georgians and focuses on results — not headlines,” he said.
“I believe our state needs a political outsider in Washington — not another career politician — to cut through the noise and partisanship and get back to real problem-solving.”
His interest comes as Gov. Brian Kemp and President Donald Trump are seeking to rally behind a pick and avoid a messy GOP primary fight. Ossoff is the only Senate Democrat on the ballot next year in a state Trump carried in 2024 and is considered both a vulnerable incumbent and a battle-tested campaigner.
It’s not certain whether Dooley — a 56-year-old who has never run for office — has a path to a rare joint endorsement from Kemp and Trump. He’s long had close ties to Kemp, but his relationship with Trump’s circle is not known.
https://archive.ph/2KsX5#selection-1395.0-1464.0
Derek Dooley, former Tennessee head football coach whose father Vince was a University of Georgia icon, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday he’ll make his decision whether to enter the Republican primary in the coming weeks.
“Georgia deserves stronger, common-sense leadership in the U.S. Senate that represents all Georgians and focuses on results — not headlines,” he said.
“I believe our state needs a political outsider in Washington — not another career politician — to cut through the noise and partisanship and get back to real problem-solving.”
His interest comes as Gov. Brian Kemp and President Donald Trump are seeking to rally behind a pick and avoid a messy GOP primary fight. Ossoff is the only Senate Democrat on the ballot next year in a state Trump carried in 2024 and is considered both a vulnerable incumbent and a battle-tested campaigner.
It’s not certain whether Dooley — a 56-year-old who has never run for office — has a path to a rare joint endorsement from Kemp and Trump. He’s long had close ties to Kemp, but his relationship with Trump’s circle is not known.
https://archive.ph/2KsX5#selection-1395.0-1464.0
