Dooley, Kemp campaign in Evans County as GOP Senate runoff nears

CLAXTON, Ga. (WTOC) - Republican U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley brought his “Georgia First” tour to Evans County on Thursday, campaigning alongside Gov. Brian Kemp as the June 16 GOP runoff approaches.

Dooley, a former football coach, is facing U.S. Rep. Mike Collins in the Republican runoff. The winner will advance to the general election against Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

Speaking to supporters at the Veterans Community Center in Claxton, Dooley argued Washington is failing voters and cast himself as a political outsider.

Kemp told the crowd he is backing Dooley as Republicans try to win back the seat.

“I’m here for one reason. I want to win our U.S. Senate seat back,” Kemp said.

Dooley promoted what he calls a five-point “Georgia First” contract, which he says would guide his work if elected. Dooley said the platform reflects conservative priorities and a focus on “common sense” and results.

Kemp praised Dooley’s outsider message and said he believes voters are looking for candidates not tied to Washington.

“Political outsiders are the ones that can make change,” Kemp said.

Dooley also pointed to his football background while talking about a potential general election matchup with Ossoff.

“We got this saying in football, your film is your resume,” Dooley said. “And we’re going to show the film to the Georgia people of five years of Jon Ossoff that we didn’t have back in 2020.”

Dooley encourages his supporters to stay engaged and vote in the runoff election on June 16, with early voting starting next week.