By Nicole Weatherholtz | Thursday, July 2, 2026
Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) has an early double-digit lead over Republican Representative Mike Collins in Georgia’s closely watched Senate race, according to a recent poll released ahead of the general election.
The survey found Ossoff leading Collins by a margin of 13 percentage points among registered voters, giving the first-term Democrat an early advantage after Republicans concluded a bruising primary contest.
This is the first major survey conducted since Collins, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, defeated Derek Dooley, who was backed by Governor Brian Kemp, in the Republican runoff by an 11-point margin.
Collins now focuses on unifying Republicans who supported Dooley and Representative Buddy Carter during the primary, while Ossoff avoided a primary challenge and entered the general election with his campaign resources and organizational strength intact.
Despite Ossoff’s significant lead, the poll indicates the race is likely to tighten as the campaign progresses. An analyst noted: “My hunch is the race will become much more competitive, but Collins has work to do convincing Republicans and independents that he and the president can make things more affordable for rank-and-file Georgians.”
Collins has spent little time linking Ossoff to Democratic spending policies while embracing Trump’s economic agenda. The congressman, who built a trucking business before entering politics, has framed the contest as a choice between “self-made vs. silver spoon.”
He repeatedly criticizes Ossoff’s vote against Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and accuses the senator of opposing tax relief for working families. Collins recently criticized Ossoff in a public statement: “Jon Ossoff voted for one of the largest spending bills in American history, helping drive up the cost of gas, groceries, and housing for Georgia families. Then he voted against the Working Families Tax Cuts, which delivered a tax cut of more than $3,000 for the average Georgian this year. While I’ve delivered results, Jon Ossoff has fought to make your life more expensive and less free at every turn.”
Ossoff has countered by emphasizing affordability issues while targeting both Trump and Collins. The Democrat highlights efforts to lower insulin costs and reduce housing expenses.
At a recent campaign rally, Ossoff blasted the Republican ticket: “I never want to hear these two pretend they give a damn about working people again. Because while hundreds of thousands of Georgians lose their health care, Mike Collins builds Trump a ballroom.” He added, “They worked harder burying the Epstein files than they ever worked to lower your grocery bill.”
The poll found Ossoff running strongest among Black voters, younger voters, young women, independents, and moderates. Collins’ strongest support came from evangelical Christians, rural voters, veterans, gun owners, and men without college degrees.
Ossoff also enters the race with a significant fundraising advantage, reporting more than $32.5 million in cash on hand during the 2026 election cycle.
