With their primary two weeks away, Georgia Republicans are waiting nervously for Donald Trump’s endorsement in the GOP race for one of Georgia's two U.S. Senate seats, fearing a longer delay could have a huge impact not just on the eventual nominee, but also on November’s general election.
According to a report from Politico, the Tuesday primary in Iowa, where MAGA-friendly Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) was upset, despite getting the president's coveted endorsement to be the next governor four days before the election, is serving as a red flag to Georgia GOP insiders.
The Feenstra loss has sent a chill through Georgia Republican circles, where both Rep. Mike Collins and former college football coach Derek Dooley are desperately courting Trump's support.
"The window is starting to close," Casey Cagle, a former Georgia lieutenant governor backing Collins, told Politico. "Candidates have to spend time and resources to make sure people know about the endorsement."
The ticking clock is firing up speculation about when — or if — Trump will act. One Republican connected to the race expressed deep concern about a repeat of the Iowa chaos.
"I wouldn't want Trump to get in at the last minute down here. What happened in Iowa could happen in Georgia next and continue to ruin the president's win streak," the person claimed.
Republicans desperately need Trump's intervention to unify their fractured field against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, widely acknowledged as a formidable general election opponent. Ossoff has already built a massive campaign war chest, avoided a divisive primary, and maintained a comfortable lead in public polls—giving Democrats a significant structural advantage.
Without a Trump endorsement to consolidate the conservative vote, Republicans face an uphill battle in November. Yet Trump appears unmoved by the urgency. Collins has personally spoken to several Trump allies, while the Dooley campaign has maintained ongoing contact with the White House, Politico is reporting.
According to a senior national Republican official, Trump is treating the endorsement as "actively under consideration," with the report noting that the president called Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, one of his most loyal lieutenants in the state, to assess the political landscape.
