Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Friday she won't challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia's 2026 Senate race. The decision, made public in a post on X, comes amid concerns from some Republicans that Greene's divisive brand would hurt the party's chances to reclaim the seat, per the AP. Greene pushed back on those worries, saying she isn't interested in joining a Senate that "doesn't work" and is unwelcoming to Trump supporters.
With Ossoff's seat considered a top target for Republicans, Greene's decision leaves the GOP field wide open. Gov. Brian Kemp, seen as a strong potential contender, also recently ruled himself out. Rep. Buddy Carter has already declared his candidacy, while six other GOP officeholders in Georgia—including Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Insurance Commissioner John King, and state Sen. Greg Dolezal—have indicated interest. CBS News notes that ousting Ossoff would expand Republicans' 53-47 hold in the Senate.
Greene, known nationally for her fundraising prowess and large social media following, would likely have drawn strong support in a GOP primary. However, her embrace of conspiracy theories and frequent clashes with both parties have made her controversial. Since entering Congress in 2020, she's weathered removal from panel assignments, been expelled from the House Freedom Caucus, and continued to generate headlines for her confrontational style.
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With the field for Ossoff's seat now taking shape, GOP strategist Eric Tanenblatt summed up the growing interest: "I expect a competitive primary—Senate seats don't come along that often." Although MTG noted in her X post that beating Ossoff "would be easy," surveys indicate otherwise: CBS cites an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll from last month that showed she was trailing Ossoff in a hypothetical contest 54-37. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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