Georgia Republicans are buzzing with excitement about their next big play.
A football legend’s son just stepped into the political arena.
And a legendary football coach’s son just delivered one jaw-dropping surprise that has Jon Ossoff scrambling for cover.
Georgia GOP power brokers rally behind legendary coach’s son
Derek Dooley, the son of legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, is seriously considering a Republican run for U.S. Senate against Democrat incumbent Jon Ossoff in 2026.
The former University of Tennessee head coach has been quietly meeting with GOP heavyweights and deep-pocketed donors behind the scenes as he weighs his political future.
As word of his potential candidacy spreads, Dooley has been conducting private meetings with major Georgia Republican donors in Kemp’s circle and making trips to Washington to connect with Trump allies.
The 56-year-old political newcomer represents exactly what Republican leaders have been desperately searching for – a unifying candidate who can bridge the gap between the Trump and Kemp wings of the party.
Governor Brian Kemp and President Donald Trump have been trying to agree on a mutual candidate to back for Senate in 2026, hoping to avoid the conflict that plagued Kelly Loeffler’s unsuccessful run.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Republicans in the Peach State, where past GOP infighting handed control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats in 2021.
The Dooley family legacy runs deep in Georgia politics
What makes Derek Dooley particularly appealing to Republican power brokers isn’t just his coaching resume – it’s his family’s deep roots in Georgia and their close ties to the state’s political elite.
Kemp spent time at the Dooley household during his youth and was college roommates with Derek’s brother Daniel at the University of Georgia.
The friendship between Kemp and the Dooley family spans decades, giving Derek an instant credibility boost with Georgia’s most powerful Republican political machine.
Derek’s late father, Vince Dooley, was more than just a football coach – he was a Georgia icon who considered pursuing the Democratic Party nomination for Senate in Georgia in July 1985 while he was still Georgia’s head coach, but ultimately decided against running. He also considered running for governor of Georgia five years later.
The elder Dooley’s political interests weren’t a family secret. His wife ran in the Republican Party primary for U.S. House in 2002.
Now Derek is picking up where his father left off, but this time he’s serious about making the leap into politics.
GOP establishment sees Dooley as Trump-Kemp unity candidate
Republican leaders are treating Dooley’s potential candidacy as their best shot at avoiding another messy primary battle that could hand Ossoff a second term.
Kemp recently told donors to keep their powder dry and give him and Trump time to align behind a candidate.
The two Republican powerbrokers met in May to discuss a potential joint endorsement, a move supporters say would help the GOP unify against Ossoff — a formidable incumbent already mobilizing his campaign — and prevent a Republican primary from turning into a contest over who can prove their Trump loyalty most dramatically.
The Georgia GOP’s recent track record has been nothing short of disastrous when it comes to Senate races.
In 2020, Trump refused to publicly pick a side in a bitter primary fight between Kelly Loeffler and Doug Collins – however Trump-aligned super PAC Great America PAC, endorsed Collins.
The race fractured GOP voters, which the Georgia establishment insists helped Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win both seats in January 2021.
Conservatives maintain the blame for that lies in the establishment’s penchant for backing the least conservative candidates in Republican primary races.
Nevertheless, banking on his father’s football legacy, the Georgia establishment is hoping Dooley will help them avoid such a situation.Â
Of course, that might not work out so well either.
In 2022, Herschel Walker’s campaign backfired spectacularly when Walker’s troubled candidacy collapsed in the general election against Warnock, despite Trump’s early endorsement.
Republicans can’t afford an unforced error, especially with Ossoff already stockpiling more than $11 million for his reelection campaign.
Kemp history
What makes Dooley particularly dangerous to Ossoff is his status as a complete political outsider with no baggage.
"Georgia deserves stronger common-sense leadership in the U.S. Senate that represents all Georgians and focuses on results — not headlines," Dooley said in a statement.
"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," he added.
Dooley steered clear of partisan politics throughout his coaching career, spending years as Tennessee’s head coach and nearly a decade working with NFL teams. His only recent campaign donation was a $5,000 check to Kemp, a longtime friend.
This clean slate could be exactly what Georgia Republicans need to compete against an incumbent who has spent years building his political brand.
But Dooley faces a significant challenge in winning over Trump’s base without a proven MAGA track record.
He’s steered clear of MAGA rallies, culture war flashpoints, policy debates and overt political messaging.
Other Republicans refuse to clear the field
Not everyone in the Georgia GOP is waiting around for the Kemp-Trump summit to produce a consensus candidate.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and Insurance Commissioner John King are in the race, while U.S. Rep. Mike Collins is inching closer to a possible bid.
Carter, who has already spent $2 million on ads, told the "Politically Georgia" podcast he’ll stay in the race even if GOP leaders endorse someone else.
These candidates have their own political bases and aren’t about to step aside for a football coach with no electoral experience.
Adding to the uncertainty: anti-Trump Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger could enter, testing just how far an anti-Trumper can go in today’s Trump-dominated GOP.
The crowded field could actually work in Dooley’s favor if he can secure that coveted joint Trump-Kemp endorsement before officially launching his campaign.
Ossoff prepares for the fight of his political life
Democrats know they’re in for a brutal battle in Georgia, where Trump won the state in 2024 and Republicans are desperate to flip back a Senate seat.
Ossoff is the only Senate Democrat on the ballot next year in a state Trump carried in 2024, and he is considered both a vulnerable incumbent and a battle-tested campaigner.
The Democrat senator isn’t taking any chances. Ossoff raised $11 million during the first quarter of 2025. The total is one of the highest ever raised by an incumbent in the first quarter of an off-cycle year.
But there’s trouble brewing for Ossoff even within his own party. The Georgia Democrat Party has faced turmoil since the election. Former Georgia Democrat Party chairwoman Nikema Williams resigned last month amid the DNC’s concern that the party was not headed in the right direction.
Meanwhile, around nine out of 10 of Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) donors have come from out of state, raising questions about his connection to Georgia voters.
Derek Dooley’s potential entry into the race represents the biggest threat Ossoff has faced since he first won the seat in that 2020 runoff.
Dooley said he would decide on a bid in coming weeks.
