GOP Senate candidate Derek Dooley is working to consolidate support for his Senate bid after his second-place finish in the Georgia Republican primary.
Dooley and Rep. Mike Collins (R., Ga.) placed second and first, respectively, in their bids to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) in November’s election. Dooley, a first-time candidate, has leaned heavily on Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R., Ga.) ongoing popularity throughout his campaign — support which is only ramping up as the high-stakes runoff kicks into high gear.
Kemp’s super PAC, Hardworking Americans PAC, held a donor call after the runoff, featuring Kemp and Dooley. One attendee on the call read the Washington Reporter into what happened.
Dooley, his general consultant Cody Hall, and his senior advisor Clayton Henson provided an update on the race.
“No candidate is this race had their support grow as much as Derek,” Henson told donors. “Other candidates who participated in the primary started with built in support and held elected positions that they were able to take advantage of.” Henson, a Trumpworld veteran, served in the first Trump administration as a regional political director in the White House’s Office of Political Affairs.
Henson explained that Dooley’s unconventional background mirrors that of Trump, his former boss, and that it is a strength in the race. “It is a fact that the more people learn about Derek, the more they support him,” he said. “Also, like President Trump, Derek did not come up through politics. He is the true outsider candidate. We believe Derek is by far the best candidate, and we are making that case to the White House. We also know the that the best information we can convey to Washington and to President Trump is Derek’s growing support among the voters of Georgia.”
Also joining them on the call was Luke Thompson, another Dooley-aligned strategist. While speaking with donors, Thompson observed on the call that the runoff would come down to three groups: Collins has to hold onto rural conservatives despite limited resources, Dooley has to maintain his dominance of the Atlanta suburbs, and both sides will be fighting to introduce themselves to supporters of Rep. Buddy Carter (R., Ga.), who dominated in Savannah during the initial primary. Carter has thus far remained neutral in the race.
