BREAKING: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will not run for US Senate in 2026

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: WABE/NPR Atlanta, GA

May 5th, 2025

This story was updated on Monday, May 5 at 4:04 p.m.


Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp says he will not run for U.S. Senate in 2026, a blow to national Republicans who spent months courting the term-limited governor to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Kemp announced his decision on social media, writing that, “I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.”

He says he spoke with President Donald Trump and Senate leadership on Monday and emphasized his commitment to helping elect the eventual Republican nominee.

“I am confident we will be united in that important effort, and I look forward to electing the next generation of leaders up and down the ballot here in the Peach State who will keep our state and nation headed in the right direction in 2026 and beyond,” Kemp wrote.

Read more: https://www.wabe.org/breaking-georgia-gov-brian-kemp-will-not-run-for-us-senate-in-2026/

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Link to tweet

Brian Kemp
@BrianKempGA
Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the US Senate in 2026. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family.

After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.

I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November, and ultimately be a conservative voice in the US Senate who will put hardworking Georgians first.

I am confident we will be united in that important effort, and I look forward to electing the next generation of leaders up and down the ballot here in the Peach State who will keep our state and nation headed in the right direction in 2026 and beyond.
2:40 PM · May 5, 2025

Article updated.

Original article -

May 5th, 2025


Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp says he will not run for U.S. Senate in 2026, a blow to national Republicans who spent months courting the term-limited governor to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Kemp wrote on social media that, "I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family."

He says he spoke with President Donald Trump and Senate leadership earlier Monday and emphasized his commitment to helping elect the eventual Republican nominee.

"I am confident we will be united in that important effort, and I look forward to electing the next generation of leaders up and down the ballot here in the Peach State who will keep our state and nation headed in the right direction in 2026 and beyond," Kemp wrote.

[Henry203]

1. Shocked

I live in GA and I thought he was running. This is a major surprise. I think he would have beaten Ossoff.

[cstanleytech]

11. I'm unfortunately trapped in Georgia with no way out except at the end of a bullet to the head and it shocked me to.

[Dulcinea]

24. I'm not surprised.

Kemp & the Fascist Felon don't get along. Kemp probably didn't want to have to kiss Trump's bloated orange butt. If he really wanted to run, he would have announced a long time ago.

I live in GA too & will work to make sure Ossoff is reelected. He deserves it. He works hard & does a good job.

[Marie Marie]

2. Good! for 2 reasons:

He would have been a formidable opponent for Osoff and now MTG can run. She will not only lose the race but also her House seat. She needs to go away.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Exactly

Kemp would have made it really hard for Ossoff. MTG is a loon (although with experience) like Herschel Walker and Kelly Loeffler (the latter who is now in charge of destroying SBA).

David Perdue just got confirmed as Ambassador to China last week (as I just found out), so he won't be in that mix either.

[AdamGG]

21. MTG as the Senate nominee could bleed over into other states

It would be good for her to get as much camera time as possible.

[dem4decades]

4. Why? He would have probably won.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. As has been seen in the past

I don''t think he wanted to be under the yoke of 45 and oddly enough, 45's "blessing" has been the kiss of death in swing states like GA.

[Tarzanrock]

6. No self-respecting sane person ...

... wants to be a Turd ass kisser.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. He has done an amazing job

of tightrope walking around 45 for the past 5 years - on the level of a Pence - both unequivocally trashing Democrats in fine GOP fashion while managing to cling to some frayed thread of "democracy".

[Tarzanrock]

8. Yes. It's one thing to be a garden variety, run of the mill, Republican Shithead.

It is quite another thing to become a Fascist Nazi follower of a Fuhrer.

[BeyondGeography]

13. Because he's going to run for President in '28

He has seen the GOP’s future and it is lined with Trump roadkill.

[dem4decades]

14. Are Kemp and Youngkin the non MAGA choices? And Pence i guess.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. And possibly Mike DeWine

(although DeWine is up there in age)

[everyonematters]

9. If MTG runs and Trump endorses her, it will be the Hershel Walker circus all over again.

Trump is the worst judge in character I have ever seen.

[jgmiller]

20. No he judges their character exactly the right way, it's that he thinks that character is what he and America want

[delisen]

10. Kemp endorsed Trump 2024; claimed Harris would be disaster like Biden

He is responsible to turning our country over to fascism.

As the horrors are currently in progress he seems silent.

Possibly Laura Loomer and Project 2025 has a different candidate in mind.

[cstanleytech]

12. Everyone that supported Trump is responsible and I smile every time I read about one of them suffering due to Trump.

They can all go fucking piss up a rope and suffer the consequence's for doing so.

[mdbl]

15. Very true - they all share in the blame for the decline of our civil society

Party over country after all.

[cstanleytech]

18. "Party over country after all." Exactly.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

16. Tough luck Donny boy

[DallasNE]

19. Unmentioned, But I Think

Kemp looked at the recent results in Canada and Australia and saw the writing on the wall. Both were thought to be safe conservative wins and then fell apart following Trump being sworn in. Being closely aligned with Trump brought both down.

[DFW]

22. While this is good news for Jon Ossoff if taken on its own

It does not preclude the Republicans from grooming someone just as bad, or far worse, and they still have time to do their PR routine on somehow trashing Jon to the point where the great job he has been doing can be deconstructed in the press. The fact that Jpn probably is the most intelligent member of the Senate at this point probably doesn't matter to enough Georgia voters to make a difference, either.

I've only known Jon for a few years now, but I can state with total certainty that there are few states that can be prouder of their Senators than Georgis with Jon Ossoff. He is there in the trenches, making incredibly insighful speeches on the Senate floor, and just about every day. Just watch any clip of him and it becomes obvious. If anyone has the privilege to sit down with him and have an hour's chat--pick ANY subject--and either he knows more about it than you do, or if not, he'll ask you questions about it until he knows at least as much as you do.

Georgia is a very diverse state, but it has at least enough smart people to have elected Jon to the Senate in the first place. I'm hoping for a repeat performance next year.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. "It does not preclude the Republicans from grooming someone just as bad,"

Kemp would have been the "best of the crowd", alongside David Perdue (expected to be headed to China as Ambassador), when that crowd is filled with the MTGs, Kelly Loefflers (now busy destroying the SBA), and Herschel Walkers.

[DFW]

27. Perdue could still come back from the Beijing job to run.

I would have thought he was damaged goods, but that's what I thought of Trump a year ago, too.

[BumRushDaShow]

28. I was thinking that too since he just got confirmed last week

But there is so much politics going on at the moment involving China, that he might feel "honored" to do the crazy stuff with them.

[groundloop]

25. You're so right about GQP hit jobs..... I still remember their lies about Max Cleland

They're despicable scum.

[DFW]

26. I remember Max Cleland, too.

He was one of the first victims of Diebold Electronic voting machines. Polls had him winning clearly, but the Diebold machines gave his opponent a "surprise upset victory." There were many Reüublican "surprise upset victories" that year. No Democratic ones at all.