Earlier this month, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) announced he would not be running to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), a vulnerable Democratic incumbent who only won his seat following the 2020 election thanks to Georgia's runoff system. However, all hope is not lost. A recent poll from Cynal shows that there's candidates who come close to beating Ossoff, including one who is doing well against primary Republican challengers: Rep. Mike Collins, who represents Georgia's 10th Congressional District.
The Cygnal poll, which was conducted May 15-17 with 800 voters from the 2024 general election and had a margin of plus or minus 3.41 percentage points, polled Ossoff against various Republicans, including Collins. That Collins is within the MOE, currently polling with 43.3 percent to Ossoff's 45.7 percent, is in particular gaining attention.
The poll also shows that on the generic ballot for U.S. Senate, a Republican polls better than the Democratic candidate, with 48.2 percent to 44.5 percent, showing improvement for a generic Republican.
🚨🚨NEW POLL: @MikeCollinsGA within striking distance of Jon Ossoff in latest #GASEN poll. Has highest level of definite support among Republicans. #gapol pic.twitter.com/FO0MvDD8gS
— Corbin Keown (@keown_corbin) May 22, 2025
GEORGIA POLL - Senate
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 22, 2025
🟥 Raffensperger: 44.3%
🟦 Ossoff (inc): 44.1%
—
🟦 Ossoff (inc): 45.7%
🟥 Collins: 43.3%
—
🟦 Ossoff (inc): 44.7%
🟥 King: 42.1%
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🟦 Ossoff (inc): 46.3%
🟥 Loeffler: 42.8%
—
🟦 Ossoff (inc): 46.0%
🟥 Carter: 42.1%@cygnal (A) | 5/15-17 | 800 LV |…
This is not the only poll to show hopeful news for Collins. Corbin Keown also highlighted over X a recent poll from Trafalgar. Late last month, before Kemp announced he would not run, the polling group conducted a survey that included questions about candidates if the governor were to not run, which ultimately turned out to be the case.
While Rep. Marjorie Taylor (R-GA) was the leading candidate, she announced not long after Kemp made his decision that she would not run. In a field with Republican primary candidates, with Kemp, MTG, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger out, Collins is the leading candidate.
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That poll was conducted April 24-27 with 1,426 Likely 2026 General & GOP Primary Election Voters and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
This follows previous polling showing Rep. Collins leading the Republican Primary field. pic.twitter.com/6SwUoAmEls
— Corbin Keown (@keown_corbin) May 22, 2025
The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) has made Ossoff a top target and remains hopeful about this race next year. "The race is just beginning and Republicans already have candidates within the margin against the most vulnerable 2026 incumbent Senator on the map. Jon Ossoff is a radical leftist who wants to raise taxes on Georgia families and is working every single day to impeach President Trump," said NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia in a statement for Townhall.
The NRSC has also been quick to highlight Ossoff's own votes, fundraising efforts, and remarks. He's voted against protecting women and girls' sports from men and boys participating and not only voted against advancing the continuing resolution in March to avoid a government shutdown, but fundraised off of it in a move that resulted in a watchdog group filing an ethics complaint against him. He also said he agreed with an unhinged woman at his town hall event last month, during which he encouraged electing enough Democrats to hold a majority in the House so as to make it easier to impeach President Donald Trump. His frequent remarks against the president seem to forget that Trump won his state in 2016 and 2024, with an even larger margin last November than the polls predicted and by a larger margin than now former President Joe Biden won the state by in 2020.
Most recently, the NRSC earlier on Thursday put out a statement against Ossoff voted to ban the sale of gas-powered cars. The legislation, which would reverse the EPA's waiver grant to California that would have allowed the state to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, as an NRSC press release reminded, still passed, and with even Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans.
Senate Democrats tried banning the sale of all gas-powered cars today and guess who fell right in line? Georgia liberal Jon Ossoff.
— Senate Republicans (@NRSC) May 22, 2025
It’s crystal clear: Ossoff wants to turn Georgia into California. pic.twitter.com/kK9eei5bkz
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