AJC Poll: Collins leads in Senate GOP primary, but most voters undecided
More than half of Republican primary voters in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s new poll still don’t know who they are voting for in the U.S. Senate primary to determine who will challenge Jon Ossoff in November.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins received the most support at 21.6% in the AJC poll, compared with 12.5% for U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and 11% for former football coach Derek Dooley.
Two minor candidates, John Coyne and John McColumn, each received about 1% support.
Patrick Pieters, who lives in Canton, is among the Republican voters still undecided on who he will support in the Senate primary. He is hoping that President Donald Trump, who so far has declined to endorse a candidate, changes his mind and weighs in.
“It would have some impact,” Pieters said of a Trump endorsement. “I think the more the Senate and the House line up with his direction and the programs he wants, the more likely it’ll be less controversial.”
The poll of 1,000 likely Georgia primary voters was conducted by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs April 18-26. The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points.
The number of undecided voters has increased since a previous AJC poll conducted in November where 38% of voters said they didn’t know who they would support. At the time, 30% said they supported Collins and 20% backed Carter. Back then, about 12% of voters said they supported Dooley.
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The latest numbers indicate that attack ads, recent government shutdowns and other controversies out of Washington may have affected support for Collins and Carter, both of whom serve in the House.
Kennesaw State University political science professor Kerwin Swint said the number of undecided voters would normally decrease closer to the election. Even if support for Collins and Carter was waning, he was surprised that didn’t convert to more support for Dooley.
“Trump hasn’t endorsed anyone yet, so maybe that could play a role also,” Swint said.
Randy Turner, who lives in Twin City in southeast Georgia, voted for Carter because he likes what he has seen throughout his tenure in the House.
“I’ve been aware of his political career ever since he’s been in politics,” Turner said. “And he’s pretty much on the same wavelength as I am.”
Gov. Kemp’s support for Dooley helped earn the early, in-person vote of Ricardo Lozier, who lives in Mableton.
“I’m a supporter of the governor and the things he’s done getting our economy on track,” Lozier said. “And so if Dooley is anything like the governor, it was made like a no-brainer.”
AJC Exclusive Poll
As part of its commitment to being the essential source of political news in Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution regularly commissions polls to measure public opinion about issues important to the state’s voters and about the officials who control the levers of power.
The AJC surveys, which are conducted by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs, are among the few independent polls in the state during election years.
The AJC’s stories on the poll examine voter opinions and preferences heading into the May 19 primary. Stay tuned as we share results in the Democratic race for governor, the U.S. Senate contest and more.
For more on the candidates and this year’s election, check out the AJC’s 2026 AJC Voter Guide.
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About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
