Kemp declines Georgia Senate run in blow to GOP hopes of flipping seat

Georgia’s popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said he’ll pass on running for Senate in 2026, dimming the GOP’s chances of winning back the seat from Democrats.

Mr. Kemp, 61, announced his decision on social media, telling followers that he had informed President Trump and Senate Republican leadership of the decision not to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat who won the seat in 2021.

“I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family,” Mr. Kemp said.

Republicans had set their sights on Mr. Kemp as the GOP candidate with the best chance of reclaiming the seat from Democrats, who have held both Senate seats since 2021.

Mr. Kemp won reelection decisively to a second term as governor of the Peach State in 2022, defeating Democrat Stacey Abrams by 7.5 percentage points.

A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showed Mr. Kemp and Mr. Ossoff in a dead heat.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a conservative firebrand and staunch Trump ally, is weighing a run against Mr. Ossoff but has not announced her plans.

The AJC poll showed Mr. Ossoff beating Ms. Greene in a hypothetical matchup by 17 points, mostly due to his support from independent voters.

Speculation swirled over the reasons behind Mr. Kemp’s decision. Some cited the economic uncertainty brought by Mr. Trump’s trade policies, which could make 2026 a difficult election year for Republicans.

Others pointed to Mr. Kemp’s contentious relationship with the president and some suggested he was holding out to run for president in 2028.

While he endorsed Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign, the two are not considered allies.

Mr. Kemp was the subject of bitter attacks by the president after he refused to heed Mr. Trump’s demands to overturn the results of the 2020 election that gave President Biden a narrow win in the state.

University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato called Mr. Kemp’s decision a “smart move,” because an anti-Trump wave could give Mr. Ossoff an edge.

Mr. Sabato said Mr. Ossoff’s chances of winning reelection are brighter, “but far from certain.”