Carter joins GOP Senate primary
Other candidates likely to enter soon
U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter on Thursday kicked off his campaign to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, becoming the first Republican candidate to enter the key race.
Carter called himself a “MAGA warrior” in a 30-second launch video, where he aligns himself closely with President Donald Trump and slams Ossoff as out-of-touch.
“Last November, Georgia [voted for Trump],” the narrator said. “But Jon Ossoff doesn’t care.
“Trump has a warrior in Buddy Carter. Buddy helped Trump secure our border and put America first. And he knows the difference between a man and a woman.”
A pharmacist from St. Simons Island, Carter was first elected to Congress in 2014 representing coastal and southeastern Georgia after serving in both the state house and state senate. He made headlines earlier this year after introducing a measure to rename Greenland “Red, White & Blueland” as President Trump advocates for a takeover of the island territory.
Carter’s entry comes days after Gov. Brian Kemp said that he would not seek the seat. Republicans both in Georgia and in Washington, including Carter, saw Kemp as their strongest prospect and publicly urged him to run. But the governor said that he has no appetite for another grueling campaign in the battleground state after two terms in the state’s top job.
His absence has left Republicans scrambling to find an alternative with the 2026 campaign on the horizon. The field of contenders is very likely to grow, with at least two of Carter’s congressional colleagues — Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick — weighing bids of their own. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said that she won’t be running despite previously hinting at a statewide run.
Another delegation member, Rep. Rick Allen, told NBC News that his colleagues may have to sit down and hash things out to avoid a messy primary like the one that played out in 2014, when Sen. Saxby Chambliss retired and three House Republicans gave up their seats for unsuccessful Senate bids.
But as for Carter, his Senate run and subsequent congressional departure mean an open race is on deck for his coastal Georgia district, where the Republican primary all but functions as the general election. Far-right activist Kandiss Taylor was already challenging Carter from the right, but elected Republicans in the area are sure to take a look at the newly-open seat: Carter Infinger, the chairman of the Bryan County Board of Commissioners, entered the race over the weekend.
Other names to watch can be found under the Gold Dome, such as State Rep. Jesse Petrea, State Rep. Steve Sainz and majority whip James Burchett. There’s also state Sen. Ben Watson, a Savannah physician who represents Carter’s former seat in the state legislature and could again look to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps.
Buddy O'Day! The opponent Ossoff has been praying for.