Georgia Runoff Election: Collins vs. Dooley

Republican Representative Mike Collins from Georgia is heading to a runoff election against Derek Dooley, a former University of Tennessee football coach. This follows a primary election where neither candidate received the necessary 50% of votes, leading to another contest for the state’s Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.

In a recent poll by JMC Analytics and Polling, Collins is leading Dooley by a significant margin. When respondents were asked which candidate they would support if the Republican runoff race for the U.S. Senate were held today, 50% supported Collins, 36% supported Dooley, and 15% were undecided.

The candidate who wins the runoff will compete against Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November in a critical senatorial battle in the state. Newsweek reached out to both Collins and Dooley’s campaigns via email for comments.

Key Poll Findings

The JMC Analytics and Polling survey involved 600 respondents on May 26 and May 27, examining opinions regarding the Georgia Republican runoff. The poll’s margin of error is 4%.

When undecided voters were queried about their leaning in the runoff, 39% leaned towards Collins, 27% towards Dooley, with 34% still undecided. In a forced choice scenario, 55% supported Collins, while Dooley garnered 39%, and 7% remained undecided.

Collins holds a 61% favorability rating in the poll, with an 18% unfavorable view, 21% having no opinion, and 1% unaware of him. Dooley has a 50% favorability rating, a 19% unfavorable view, 28% with no opinion, and 2% unaware.

Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp supports Dooley, having opted not to run for the seat. President Donald Trump has not endorsed any candidate in this race.

Other Polls

A Quantus Insights poll after the primary election showed Collins leading with 53.5% of the vote compared to Dooley’s 37.2%. Conducted on May 20 among 782 likely Republican primary voters, this poll has a margin of error of 3.9%.

Another poll by InsiderAdvantage showed Collins with 46%, Dooley with 41%, and 13% undecided. Conducted on May 20 and May 21 among 800 likely voters, it has a margin of error of 3.46%.

InsiderAdvantage Pollster Matt Towery commented on the likely low voter turnout during the runoff, emphasizing the importance for candidates to focus on devoted Republican voters. He noted Collins might have an advantage due to his long-standing involvement with the Georgia GOP, but this could be balanced by Governor Kemp’s endorsement of Dooley.