Why 2 GOP mayors are crossing party lines for Jon Ossoff
Two Republican mayors from the reddest parts of Georgia are breaking ranks to back Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s reelection bid, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Democrat’s work for their communities outweighs partisan differences.
Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Tifton Mayor Julie Smith aren’t household names. But their willingness to cross party lines signals a weakness for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins, who has struggled to unite his party and broaden his appeal following a bruising primary fight.
Matheson and Smith praised Ossoff’s approach to constituent service and his efforts to steer federal resources to South Georgia.
“I don’t have to track him down. He tracks me down,” said Smith, a former president of the Georgia Municipal Association.
“He’s been very good to South Georgia, and in my nonpartisan role as mayor, I have to look to someone who takes care of their constituents. I’m a Republican, but there are times when a person exceeds the party. They go above and beyond.”
Matheson, who considers himself a “hard-core conservative,” said his friendship with Ossoff is one of the biggest surprises of his life.
It started years ago during what he described as a “standoffish” meeting with the Democrat that may have stemmed from Matheson’s background as not only a GOP official but also a conservative radio host critical of Ossoff.
But their relationship quickly tangible results. Ossoff helped secure $2 million for Valdosta’s transit system. And Matheson said Ossoff was the first politician to visit in person after devastating hurricanes hit the region.
“I will take heat for this endorsement, and it doesn’t matter,” Matheson said. “There’s no way I can turn my back on this relationship.”
He added: “The voters put me in here to do a job, and that man has been absolutely incredible.”
A conservative corner
The endorsements come days after former Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona backed Ossoff, giving the Atlanta Democrat an opening to argue he can appeal beyond his base in one of the nation’s most watched Senate races.
The support from Smith and Matheson gives Ossoff two local Republican leaders in a deep-red region where Democrats have struggled to gain ground. Their backing also helps him reinforce a broader argument that his record in office can transcend party lines.
Both Matheson and Smith are backing Republican Rick Jackson in Georgia’s race for governor — an example of the split-ticket voting that helped propel Ossoff and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock to wins earlier this decade.
The support is notable because it comes from one of the most conservative corners of Georgia. Trump carried Tifton’s Tift County by nearly 36 percentage points and Valdosta’s Lowndes County by about 18 points in 2024. The president topped more than 70% of the vote in many surrounding counties.
For Collins, the endorsements highlight the work ahead. He trails Ossoff in nearly every public poll, has a steep fundraising disadvantage and faces doubts from some Republicans about whether his hard-line alignment with Trump and a series of controversies will limit his appeal beyond the GOP base.
Like Matheson, Smith stressed she has “no issues” with Collins and said she would work with him if he wins. But she pointed to Ossoff’s work securing funding for projects at the University of Georgia’s Tifton campus, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the Tift Regional Medical Center.
“There’s always going to be disagreement when you’re talking partisan politics. But I look at the record, and his record to improve the businesses and communities in my region speaks to me louder than whether I’m a Republican or a Democrat,” she said. “The proof is in the pudding.”