Summary
- Gov.
Brian Kemp endorsed Derek Dooley for the Georgia Senate. - Endorsement
given outside Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. - Kemp
calls Dooley best to defeat Sen. Jon Ossoff. - Dooley
was highlighted as a political outsider and unifier.
An hour prior to the Georgia Bulldogs’ season opener, Kemp
made the announcement, stating that Dooley was the “one and only
opportunity” to unseat Ossoff.
After playing for four years as a receiver for the
University of Virginia football team, Dooley went on to obtain his law degree
from the University of Georgia, where he began his 28-year coaching career as a
graduate assistant.
The son of former UGA coach Vince Dooley, the former coach
of the University of Tennessee, spent over ten years coaching in the NFL and
nearly twenty years coaching collegiate football. He still works with the
nation’s Group of Five schools.
Maeve Coyle, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee, made a statement criticizing Dooley’s coaching career after
his campaign announcement.
“The latest addition to Georgia’s messy and chaotic GOP
primary is a failed football coach who has only ever spoken out to cheerlead
Medicaid cuts that hurt Georgians,”
Coyle wrote.
“As this primary
gets even more crowded and devolves into a proxy war between President Trump
and Governor Kemp, Senator Ossoff is fighting for working families in Georgia
and will hold his seat in 2026.”
Dooley tackled the claims on Saturday, claiming
“leadership matters,” FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
“I could tell you in the locker room right now, right
down the road, it doesn’t matter what your race is, what your income level is,
what your politics [are], what your religion is,”
Dooley said.
“It
was about bringing people together. Leadership matters.
I mean, look at our state. That’s what great leadership
looks like. And you look at our country right now. You took a guy who was an
outsider, President [Donald] Trump, who came in and didn’t accept business as
usual.”
Dooley said in a statement to Fox News Digital he is deeply
honored to have the governor’s support.
“Governor Kemp has led this state with strong
leadership, integrity, and achieved historic accomplishments during truly
unprecedented times in our state and nation,”
he wrote.
“Georgians
know him and trust him. I hope to bring that same leadership style focused on
conservative results to the U.S. Senate by defeating Jon Ossoff next November.
The Governor’s support gives our campaign incredible
momentum as we continue to earn support from hardworking Georgians all across
our state.”
Kemp’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News
Digital’s request for comment.
How might Trump’s lack of endorsement affect Dooley’s
general election viability?
Some studies indicate that Trump’s endorsements can mobilize
Democratic and independent voters against the endorsed Republican, reducing
their appeal in general elections, especially in competitive or swing states
like Georgia. This backlash may hurt Dooley by association if Trump withholds
support.
Among Republican voters, Trump’s endorsements provide some
boost in primaries but do not always translate into stronger general election
performance. Voters often prioritize candidate policy positions and local
issues over endorsements, and some Republicans might prefer candidates with
broader appeal instead of deep Trump alignment.
Trump’s endorsements can raise negative media attention and
energize opposition turnout, potentially offsetting any enthusiasm within the
GOP base.
