Georgia Gov. Kemp Won't Run for Senate

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced he won't be running for the Senate next year.

"I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family," Kemp, a Republican, announced on social media. "I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November and ultimately be a conservative voice in the U.S. Senate who will put hardworking Georgians first.

"I am confident we will be united in that important effort, and I look forward to electing the next generation of leaders up and down the ballot here in the Peach State who will keep our state and nation headed in the right direction in 2026 and beyond."

Kemp’s decision is a blow to Republicans who have targeted Georgia as a potential pickup. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is running for a second term in a state President Donald Trump won by two points in 2024.

A poll conducted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution last week showed Kemp leading Ossoff by three points, though within the margin of error.

Ossoff has a strong lead against other potential candidates, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

"Wow, not necessarily the news we wanted to hear," former Cobb County GOP Chair Jason Shepherd told Politico.

Ossoff’s campaign raised $11 million in the first quarter of 2025.

Kemp is term-limited as governor and reportedly is considering running for president in 2028.

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