This week, MAGA extremist Rep. Mike Collins, “MAGA warrior” Rep. Buddy Carter, and failed and fired former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley took their hits to new lows in the already “combustible” GOP U.S. Senate primary.
To kick off the week, Kemp’s Dooley-boosting ad drew criticism from in-state and national Republicans – including Senate leadership – for promoting more infighting while boosting the failed and fired former football coach.
The AJC’s Politically Georgia newsletter detailed the fallout around the Kemp’s ad, which blames Carter and Collins for the longest government shutdown in history:
- “Rarely has a 15-second digital ad triggered this much friction among Republicans.”
- “But that’s the fallout from a pro-Derek Dooley U.S. Senate spot from Gov. Brian Kemp’s political network that blamed ‘career politicians’ for the federal government shutdown […]”
- “Axios reported over the weekend that the ad infuriated U.S. Senate GOP leadership. It also irked local Republicans.”
After that, fellow MAGA extremist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green slammed Carter and Collins for being members of the House “that love not being in session because they might be running for statewide races,” according to a new report from WSAV:
- “Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-D14) told the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) that she has ‘no respect’ for members campaigning during the government shutdown, including Congressman Buddy Carter, who represents the Coastal Empire.”
- “‘…we have members that love not being in session because they might be running for statewide races, and they just love being able to stay home and run for their next job and I’ll be honest about that, I don’t know how anyone runs around their state saying, telling people to hire them for their next job, when we’re not even doing our current job,’ Rep. Greene said Thursday.”
- “So, I don’t, I don’t even know how their people are campaigning right now for statewide races. I just, the whole thing is, I have no respect for it.”
- “WSAV contacted the Georgia Republican Party and the offices of Carter and Collins for statements, but did not receive a response at the time this article was published.”
If that wasn’t enough, Collins released a new ad laying into Dooley for his failure to vote over 20 years, covered in the AJC:
- “The spot includes Dooley’s acknowledgement that he rarely voted over the last two decades during his career as a football coach […]”
- “‘I was immersed in my job as a coach,’ Dooley said in the clip, which was part of a broader radio interview.”
- “The narrator fires back: ‘Tell that to the men and women risking their lives who still make time to vote.’”
The Dooley campaign quickly shot back by calling Collins a career politician who is more concerned with his “next political promotion than representing the people of our state.”
Later on, Collins found himself the subject of GOP criticism from conservative radio host Shelley Wynter:
- Wynter called Collins out for “making another misstep,” and releasing an AI video to deceive Georgians.
- Wynter continued slamming Collins for running an “immature,” “silly,” campaign and lacking the “seriousness that you need to have to be a U.S. Senator.”
After Dooley touted Wynter’s attacks against Collins, Collins quickly shot back to once again slam Dooley for not voting in over 20 years.
“No matter how hard Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, and Derek Dooley fight each other, they could never fight that hard for Georgians and will ensure that whoever makes it out of the primary is in rough shape for a general election,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Senior Communications Advisor Devon Cruz.