Collins’ Senate Race in Peril: Polls Show Ossoff Leads Amid Controversies and Fundraising Gap

By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, September 7, 2026

Georgia GOP leaders and strategists reportedly warn Rep. Mike Collins’ U.S. Senate candidacy is already lost and could weigh on other Republican contenders.

Collins, a Republican from Georgia, has endured a difficult stretch since launching his campaign to unseat Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff, with controversies involving his former intern and son-in-law, a House ethics investigation, and a significant fundraising disadvantage.

One Georgia Republican strategist told reporters party leaders already consider Collins’ campaign lost, while another expressed concerns that a defeat by more than six percentage points could hurt other GOP candidates due to straight-ticket voting patterns.

“There’s a general concern that Collins isn’t the right candidate or running the right campaign to defeat Ossoff,” stated Nathan Gonzales, Inside Elections editor and publisher.

Public polling has shown Ossoff ahead, though margins have varied. An August survey indicated Ossoff leading Collins 50%-43% with 7% undecided. On August 26, reports noted Ossoff had led consistently in head-to-head polling and exceeded 50% in several surveys.

Collins’ campaign disputes suggestions the race is slipping away, arguing recent polling shows improvement. “There are repeated public polls that show the race moving in Mike’s direction,” said his campaign spokesman Meyer Siegfried.

Collins maintains strong Republican support, having received endorsement from President Donald Trump shortly before a June runoff against former football coach Derek Dooley and later praised during a July appearance in Marietta. GOP-aligned groups have committed tens of millions of dollars to the race.

Still, Collins faces a steep fundraising gap: Ossoff raised about $98 million this election cycle through June 30, compared with $7.4 million for Collins.

The Republican has also faced scrutiny over associates. Collins condemned racist and antisemitic social media posts attributed to his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, stating Scheer has no campaign role. Separately, former congressional intern and political contractor Preston Parra appeared in social media images wearing Ku Klux Klan robes and sharing a swastika.

Collins’ campaign labeled the posts “vile and unhinged,” while Ossoff has sought to make the controversy a campaign issue. Collins also faces a House Ethics Committee investigation stemming from allegations involving congressional resources, which he has called meritless.

Despite these setbacks, Collins maintains Republicans can win statewide in November, portraying Ossoff as out of step with Georgia voters. The contest remains consequential as Republicans seek to expand their Senate ranks while Georgia Democrats target the governor’s office and state legislative seats.