Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake broke with his old party on Tuesday, endorsing Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff's bid for a second U.S. Senate term over Republican Rep. Mike Collins, the Trump-backed challenger looking to flip the seat. Flake pointed to Collins' close alignment with President Trump as a central reason for siding with Ossoff instead of backing a fellow Republican.
Flake, a former Arizona Republican senator who has been openly critical of Trump, said he remains a "conservative Republican," but that "character matters," according to The National News Desk. He said he wants someone in the Senate seat who takes the institution seriously and will work to protect it, casting Ossoff, who is seeking a second term, as that candidate over Collins.
Flake's Crossover History And Collins' Record
Tuesday's endorsement continues a pattern for Flake, who broke with the GOP to back Joe Biden in 2020 and then-Vice President Kamala Harris in September 2024, according to Anadolu Ajansı. Flake represented Arizona in the Senate as a Republican from 2013 to 2019 before declining to seek reelection, citing the direction of the party under Trump, and he later served as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey from January 2022 until September 1, 2024, per Wikipedia. He's not the only conservative voice breaking ranks this cycle — Hoodline has also tracked a Georgia radio host's turn toward Ossoff following Collins' primary win.
Collins has represented Georgia's 10th Congressional District since 2023 and is a trucking company co-founder, as well as the son of the late Mac Collins, a Republican who represented Georgia in the House from 1993 to 2005, per Wikipedia. Collins refused to recognize Trump's 2020 election defeat and supported Trump's efforts to challenge the country's electoral systems, the outlet reports. In May 2024, Collins praised on X an incident in which white University of Mississippi students heckled a Black woman with monkey chants, and the Georgia NAACP called for an ethics investigation into the post, according to Capital B News - Atlanta.
Money, Polling And Analyst Ratings Favor Ossoff
Ossoff raised more than $20 million in the second quarter of 2026 and entered the general election with $42 million in cash on hand, while Collins raised roughly $2 million and had about $2 million in the bank, according to Sabato's Crystal Ball — a gap Hoodline detailed in its cash tsunami report last month. A July AARP poll found Ossoff leading Collins 52% to 43% among likely Georgia voters, with a 20-point advantage among independents, according to AARP. Citing Ossoff's fundraising edge and steady polling lead, Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted its rating on the race in July from "Leans Democratic" to "Likely Democratic."
Collins has cast Ossoff as "a radical roadblock to national success" and said Georgia's choice in November comes down to "common sense and his proven results" versus Ossoff and the "socialist wing of the Democratic Party." He has promised "safer streets, stronger schools, and real solutions for Georgia families" as he tries to unseat the incumbent. This month, Collins rallied with the Georgia Black Republican Council in East Point, telling supporters his campaign needs volunteers to help reach 15% of the Black vote statewide in order to beat Ossoff, Capital B News - Atlanta reports. Trump won Georgia in 2024 after capturing roughly 11% of the Black vote in the state, according to the same outlet.
Stakes For Control Of The Senate
Georgia's Senate seat is one of just two Democratic-held seats up for election in 2026 in a state that Trump carried in 2024, along with Michigan, according to Wikipedia. Collins secured the Republican nomination on June 16 by defeating former college football coach Derek Dooley with 55.5% of the vote in a primary runoff, after winning Trump's endorsement, per the same source. Ossoff, who is seeking a second term, now heads toward November with Flake's crossover endorsement as one more sign that analysts see the race tilting further in his direction.
