Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Rep. Mike Collins. The Associated Press called the race at 7:55 p.m. EST, less than an hour after polls closed statewide.
The result came on a night of record turnout in Fulton County and across Georgia. More than 2.8 million Georgians voted early, up 11.3% from the 2022 midterm, according to the Georgia secretary of state's office. At Northeast Spruill Oaks Library in Johns Creek, retiree David Humphreys told Appen Media he timed his afternoon visit to avoid long lines.
Ossoff, 39, was the only Democratic senator seeking reelection in a state President Donald Trump won in 2024. Republicans had targeted the seat as a top pickup opportunity, the AP reported. Ossoff held a large fundraising advantage, raising about $137 million as of Oct. 14 compared to about $11 million for Collins, according to PBS.
Republican groups supporting Collins pulled back spending in mid-October, the AP reported.
What the candidates said
Speaking to supporters in Atlanta, Ossoff cast the results as a rebuke of Trump. "In sweeping and decisive victories, the American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption and incompetence of a failed lame duck President Donald J. Trump," Ossoff said, according to the AP.
Collins acknowledged the result in a brief speech. "The results may not be what we wanted tonight, but y'all, that's OK. I'm going to continue to serve," he said, according to the AP. Collins praised Trump, calling it an honor and privilege to serve under him.
How the race played out
Collins represented Georgia's 10th Congressional District since 2023. He won the Republican nomination in a June 16 runoff against former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, PBS reported. Trump endorsed Collins for the runoff, while Gov. Brian Kemp backed Dooley.
The candidates clashed over affordability, healthcare, the war in Iran and immigration during the campaign, according to WABE's voter guide. Collins blamed "Biden-omics" and high taxes for rising costs. Ossoff pointed to Trump administration tariffs and promised to repeal them.
NPR reported that Collins struggled to move past scrutiny over ties to family members and former staffers who have espoused white nationalist and antisemitic views. Collins also continued to embrace Trump's false claims about widespread election fraud in 2020, NPR reported. Collins said he does not support any form of racism or white nationalism, according to NBC News.
Democrats win control of Congress
Democrats won control of Congress in what the AP described as a widespread repudiation of Trump. The party flipped Senate seats in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina, and held battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan, the AP reported. In the House, Democrats flipped more than two dozen districts.
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia governor's race, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of any state, the AP reported.
Closer to Johns Creek, state Sen. Josh McLaurin won the lieutenant governor's race, Atlanta News First reported. McLaurin, a Democrat from Sandy Springs, represents a state Senate district that includes portions of Johns Creek, Alpharetta and Roswell, according to WABE.
Official results are still pending certification by county elections officials. Voters can check results through the Georgia Secretary of State's election results page.
