Georgia Runoff Election: Collins vs. Dooley

Republican Representative Mike Collins from Georgia is progressing to a runoff election against former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. This follows a primary election where neither candidate secured over 50 percent of the votes. This runoff will decide the Republican contender for the U.S. Senate.

A recent survey by JMC Analytics and Polling indicates that Collins is ahead of Dooley by a significant margin. The poll asked, “If the Republican runoff race for US Senate were held today, which candidate would you support?” Results showed 50 percent supporting Collins, 36 percent for Dooley, and 15 percent remaining undecided.

Collins or Dooley will compete against Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in a crucial senatorial contest in Georgia. Newsweek contacted both candidates’ campaigns for comments, but responses were not reported.

Poll Insights

The JMC Analytics and Polling survey involved 600 participants on May 26 and 27. It has a margin of error of 4 percent. When undecided voters were asked which candidate they lean towards, 39 percent favored Collins, 27 percent chose Dooley, and 34 percent remained undecided. In a forced ballot scenario, Collins led with 55 percent over Dooley’s 39 percent, with 7 percent undecided.

Collins holds a 61 percent favorability rating, while 18 percent view him unfavorably. Of the respondents, 21 percent had no opinion, and 1 percent claimed they had never heard of Collins. Dooley’s favorability sits at 50 percent, while 19 percent hold an unfavorable view. Meanwhile, 28 percent had no opinion on Dooley, and 2 percent were unfamiliar with him.

Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp has endorsed Dooley, having opted not to enter the race himself. President Donald Trump has remained neutral, not endorsing any candidate in this race.

Other Poll Results

In a quick poll by Quantus Insights conducted after last week’s primary, Collins held 53.5 percent against Dooley’s 37.2 percent. The survey, which polled 782 likely Republican voters in Georgia, carried a margin of error of 3.9 percent. An additional poll by InsiderAdvantage revealed Collins with 46 percent, Dooley with 41 percent, and 13 percent undecided. Conducted on May 20 and 21, it surveyed 800 likely voters, with a margin of error of 3.46 percent.

InsiderAdvantage Pollster Matt Towery provided insights into the challenges in the upcoming elections. He noted the expectation of low voter turnout in the runoff. Candidates need to focus on dedicated Republican voters who are actively engaged in politics and vote regularly. He highlighted Collins’ advantage from his longstanding role in Georgia’s GOP, countered by Governor Kemp’s endorsement and political influence supporting Dooley.