Derek Dooley Joins Republican Senate Race in Georgia

Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley has joined the Republican race for US Senate in Georgia, aiming to unseat Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Backed by Governor Brian Kemp, Dooley promises to work with President Donald Trump and advocate for low taxes, smaller government, and conservative values. He joins a crowded field of Republican candidates, including two sitting members of the US House of Representatives.

Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley has entered the Republican race for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, aiming to unseat Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Dooley, backed by Governor Brian Kemp, is promising to work with President Donald Trump and advocate for low taxes, smaller government, and conservative values. He joins a crowded field of Republican candidates, including two sitting members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dooley, a political outsider, is leveraging his coaching background to appeal to voters. His campaign emphasizes the importance of hard work, rule-following, and perseverance—values he believes are essential for both sports and politics. The former coach has never held elective office before but has the support of Kemp and has hired Kemp's aides to run his campaign.

The Republican primary field is growing as several candidates have launched or mulled bids following Kemp's announcement that he would not run for the seat. Dooley will face off against Republican Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, both of whom have used their strong support for President Trump to boost their campaigns. Unlike the other candidates, Dooley does not center his messages around his support for Trump as heavily.

The battle for the primary comes as Kemp, seen as one of the strongest Republican candidates for the midterm cycle, decided not to run for the Senate in May. Kemp has since sought to work with the Trump administration to coalesce the field around a candidate in hopes of avoiding yet another midterm loss.

Dooley's campaign is betting on his newcomer status to appeal to voters, launching a "Georgia First" campaign aiming to make the case to voters that politicians put themselves first rather than their constituents. The former coach's father, legendary University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley, endorsed Trump for president in 2016.

The Georgia Senate race is shaping up to be a pivotal contest for Republicans, who are hoping to take back one of the two Democratic-held seats. The outcome of the midterms in Georgia will have significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

References:
[1] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/former-football-coach-derek-dooley-entering-georgia-senate/story?id=124326644
[2] https://apnews.com/article/derek-dooley-reepublican-senate-georgia-tennessee-ossoff-a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c