U.S. Rep. Mike Collins is leaning hard into frontrunner status after a new statewide poll showed him opening a commanding lead in Georgia’s crowded Republican Senate primary, delivering a blunt warning to GOP rivals to stop the infighting and focus on beating Democrats in November.
The conservative-leaning Public Opinion Strategies survey of 600 likely Republican primary voters shows Collins leading the field with 32%, nearly doubling the support of his closest competitor. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter trails at 16%, followed by former football coach Derek Dooley at 12%. About one-third of voters remain undecided.
Rather than treating the results as a victory lap, Collins used a video posted to X to issue a sharp message aimed squarely at fellow Republicans, arguing that divisions inside the party risk wasting what he called the GOP’s best Senate pickup opportunity in the country. “Enough of the infighting,” Collins said, warning that Republicans do not have “the luxury of time” as Democrats gear up for the midterms.
Collins framed the stakes in national terms, accusing Democrats of preparing another all-out assault on President Donald Trump if they regain power. He said they are already lining up impeachment efforts, pushing open-border policies, and seeking to keep criminals in Georgia, casting the Senate race as a firewall against that agenda.
The congressman also made a pointed case for consolidation behind his campaign, citing his statewide organization and endorsements as proof he is built to win. If he were not already leading and building what he described as a winning machine, Collins said, he would step aside. “But I am that guy,” he said.”It’s not an accident that I’m leading in the new polls by two to one,” Collins said. “I mean, do you realize I’m the only candidate who’s organized all 159 counties with over 800 convoy captains out there? Man, I’m lapping the field.”
The next impeachment of Donald Trump is coming in 2027…
Unless Republicans get smart.
Democrats have made it clear that they are going to do absolutely nothing but obstruct the president.
Either we get people into office that will fight for Trump’s agenda, or we can look… pic.twitter.com/K7P6kF76eU
— Mike Collins (@MikeCollinsGA) January 23, 2026
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“We’ve got over 100 endorsements from state and county-level officials, support from leaders who win elections. Republicans understand something simple, y’all. They understand you need a fighter at the top of the ticket.”
The poll suggests that argument may be landing with GOP voters. Collins posts the highest name recognition in the field, with 71% of respondents saying they are familiar with him. Trump, meanwhile, remains overwhelmingly popular among Georgia Republicans, registering an 84% approval rating in the survey, including 61% who strongly approve.
That dynamic, Collins argued, makes turnout and base energy decisive. He cast himself as the candidate who is best positioned in Georgia to keep President Trump’s 2024 voters, who turned out in huge numbers in 2024 to flip Georgia back to being a red state, engaged, rather than sitting out the election out of apathy, which is currently a fear some Republicans have about the race.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video