Senior GOP Operative: “Brian Kemp promised a fighter and delivered a footnote…”
New reporting from NOTUS highlights how Republicans are “miffed” that Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed and continues to support failed and fired former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley — calling it “a strategic mistake” that came much to their “befuddlement”.
These attacks come after Dooley recently wrapped up a string of campaign events that he heavily featured Kemp to promote, and is “relying” on the Governor to hold his hand through a flailing Senate campaign as he struggles to make inroads with Georgians.
“With each passing day, Republicans are increasingly in a tough spot in the Georgia Senate race,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Senior Communications Advisor Devon Cruz. “Kemp’s hand holding of Derek Dooley’s flailing campaign is doing the GOP no favors.”
Read for yourself:
NOTUS: Republicans Are Mad Brian Kemp Is Standing by His Georgia Senate Endorsement
By Reese Gorman 3/25/26
KEY EXCERPTS:
- […] But Kemp declined to run, and is now, much to the befuddlement of national Republicans, supporting a candidate who is in a distant third and could likely force the GOP primary into an expensive runoff.
- After Kemp decided last year against a Senate run, he ventured out to Trump National Golf Club in Virginia for a meeting with President Donald Trump.
- The two reached an agreement to work together — along with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Senate Leadership Fund — and find the right candidate to take on Ossoff the following November, as NOTUS previously reported.
- That didn’t happen, and as the likelihood of a runoff increases, the White House and Republicans are miffed that Kemp endorsed and continues to support former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.
- Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican from Georgia, told NOTUS that the race is “definitely going into a runoff” because he doubts one of the three candidates will win the more than 50% necessary to avoid one.
- Clyde expressed annoyance with Kemp but said he wanted to “reserve his comments” when asked if he’s disappointed with how the race is playing out.
- “As I understand, there was an agreement between the president and Kemp that they would come up with a candidate that both of them agreed to, and that never happened,” Cylde said. […]
- “You don’t get to go past the Trump team and then turn around and come back to them and say, ‘Hey, can I have your endorsement now?’ Right? It was a strategic mistake,” one Georgia Republican told NOTUS.
- In an interview, Kemp told NOTUS that he “very much appreciates” the way the White House has handled the situation and “communicated with me.” He emphasized that his goal was always to find a consensus candidate, but it “didn’t play out that way.” […]
- “Brian Kemp promised a fighter and delivered a footnote,” one senior GOP operative told NOTUS. “Nobody knew who Derek Dooley was before this race, and nobody’s going to after.” […]
- “Derek spent most of his time outside the state of Georgia,” the Republican said. “The name hasn’t translated for him.” […]
- “It would be one thing if this guy was well positioned, but literally his biggest liability is that nobody knows him,” the person said.