Former GOP Sen. Jeff Flake backs Jon Ossoff, saying ‘character matters’

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff picked up a high-profile endorsement Tuesday from former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican whose clashes with President Donald Trump prompted him to back other prominent Democrats.

Flake said he still disagrees with Ossoff on key policy issues. But in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he said character outweighed those partisan differences.

“I’m still a conservative Republican. But character matters. And I want someone in that seat who takes the institution seriously and will protect the institution,” Flake said.

The endorsement comes as Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Mike Collins faces questions about whether he can broaden his appeal beyond the MAGA voters who helped him win the nomination. And it gives Ossoff a prominent GOP ally as he courts swing voters in one of the nation’s most competitive Senate contests.

Collins has trailed Ossoff in just about every public poll, faces a steep fundraising deficit and skepticism from some GOP activists and strategists who worry his MAGA loyalty and a string of controversies could make it harder to build a winning coalition.

Flake’s clashes with Trump ultimately helped end his Senate career. Facing a difficult GOP primary, he declined to seek reelection in 2018 and used his announcement to issue a warning about the direction of his party.

Around that time, he endorsed Democrat Doug Jones in Alabama’s 2017 Senate race. He later supported Joe Biden for president in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.

In each case he argued that character and defense of democratic institutions was more important than party loyalty. After Biden won the 2020 presidential race, he nominated Flake to be U.S. ambassador to Turkey, a role he held until 2024.

Flake told the AJC that his disagreements over Ossoff’s voting record on Democratic priorities, including “economic issues and some social policy,” did not outweigh his respect for his approach to the Senate and his reputation for constituent services.

“Character is more important. I’ve been around long enough to know that you’ll disagree on issues with people across the aisle, or sometimes in your party. But the more important thing is character,” said Flake, adding: “I compare that to somebody who will likely go back and just be a rubber stamp for whatever the president wants.”

He said his support for Ossoff was more an endorsement of the Democrat than a rejection of Collins, though he said he was troubled by the Republican’s refusal to recognize Biden’s 2020 victory.

Flake also cast the Georgia race as part of a broader argument about the future of both parties, saying Democrats should continue nominating candidates who appeal to moderates and independents.

“I’d like to see Democrats on the ballot who will contest for people in the middle, for independents and moderate Republicans,” he said. “If you have someone on the far left, it will allow Republicans on the far right to keep doing what they’re doing.”

He also appealed to the swing voters who helped elect Gov. Brian Kemp but remain undecided in the Senate race. Flake said Ossoff is “where most Georgians are” on major issues and contrasted him with Collins, saying Republicans risk repeating mistakes made in his home state.