Derek Dooley
Georgia Republicans are headed to a June 16 runoff between Mike Collins and Derek Dooley, and Collins is trading as the clear favorite after the latest results. That keeps the nomination market highly tradable because the race is still unresolved, but the remaining path is now a runoff rather than the primary.
$747.1K
JUN 17, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current roleFootball coach
PartyRepublican
Age58 years old (Jun 10, 1968)
GenderMale
LocationGeorgia
BackgroundFootball coach
EducationUniversity of Virginia (attended; played football)
Notable personal detailsDerek Dooley is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia in the 2026 election cycle. He is a former college football coach, including serving as head coach at Louisiana Tech University and the University of Tennessee, and later worked in NFL and college assistant/analyst roles. He also has a legal background, including earning a law degree from the University of Georgia.
The candidate supports tax-cutting policies and has expressed support for the Trump administration's tax-and-spending law; his campaign emphasizes pro-growth, pro-business priorities. Specific proposals such as rate changes or new tax programs are not detailed on his campaign site.
Supports stronger border security and continuing President Trump’s efforts to secure the border, while acknowledging the role of immigrant labor for Georgia businesses. Positions emphasize enforcement and border control as a top priority rather than expanded asylum or broad regularization measures.
The candidate says abortion policy should be decided by the states and expressed support for President Trump and the Supreme Court’s role on the issue. Public statements do not specify support for federal protections for abortion nor for particular state-level bans or gestational limits.
Georgia Republicans are headed to a June 16 runoff between Mike Collins and Derek Dooley, and Collins is trading as the clear favorite after the latest results. That keeps the nomination market highly tradable because the race is still unresolved, but the remaining path is now a runoff rather than the primary.
Derek Dooley has raised $4,175,480.91 this cycle, but Mike Collins holds the lead in the latest odds for the Georgia Republican Senate nominee race.
Dooley’s Georgia GOP Senate nomination odds jumped from 10% to 13% in the last hour, a notable short-term reprice ahead of the June 16 runoff that traders should watch for follow-through or reversal.
Derek Dooley is in the news because he has advanced to a June 16 Georgia Republican Senate runoff against U.S. Rep. Mike Collins after no candidate won outright. The winner will become the GOP nominee to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. Recent coverage says Gov. Brian Kemp is backing Dooley, and he has been campaigning in Georgia ahead of the runoff. Polling ahead of the vote has shown Collins with an early lead, but the race is still undecided.
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
2026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
