Mike Collins

After a contentious Republican runoff in Georgia, the stage is set for a major face-off that will be watched by the nation.

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins from Georgia's 10th District defeated former college football coach Derek Dooley on June 16 to earn the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Jon Ossoff, who is running for reelection.

The Senate seat may make the difference in control of Congress in November, and with presidential rumors swirling around Ossoff, a win for the senator may set him on a trajectory for higher office.

Ossoff campaign rakes in $1 million on first day of general election

According to Ossoff's reelection campaign, the Senator raised more than $1 million in the first day after the runoff election. While Ossoff ran in his primary unopposed, many Georgians were waiting to see if he would be facing a MAGA loyalist or a Gov. Brian Kemp-backed candidate with a more traditional Republican flair.

More than 27,000 people donated to the campaign, with an average donation amount of just $38, his team said.

The money will likely be needed. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Senate Republican Super PAC, announced it would be committing an initial $44 million to defeat Ossoff and reclaim the Senate seat, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It is one of the largest financial promises in a state election, and far surpasses the millions spent on similar races in 2020 and 2022 to no success.

"While Mike Collins is mired in scandal and attacks on his record and character from in-state and national Republicans alike, the juggernaut Ossoff campaign continues to build incredible grassroots momentum to keep up with the Republican spending in Georgia's U.S. Senate race," Ossoff's campaign manager, Ellen Foster, said in a statement.

Collins has faced corruption accusations in his primary race as well as in the House, but has a Trump endorsement and a strong MAGA base. Ossoff has made anti-corruption a central tenet of his campaign.

Trump throws political weight behind Mike Collins

The Republican race may be well-financed, but it also has the support of the president.

Trump endorsed Collins late in the race, just days before the runoff, and in a message posted on social media in the middle of the night.

"It is my Great Honor to endorse 'MAGA' Mike Collins, a Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning, and is running for the United States Senate in Georgia, a very special place to me, and where we just had a BIG Presidential Election Win with the Most Votes Received by any single Candidate in Georgia's History, for any Election," Trump said in his post. "Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!"

Trump also attacked Ossoff, calling him a "Radical Left Lunatic" and a "Dumocrat."

When is the midterm election?

The midterm election will be held on Nov. 3.

The last day to register to vote in Georgia is Oct. 5, and early voting will begin on Oct. 13.

Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].