Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) has opted not to run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia’s 2026 election, a decision that could reshape the GOP’s path to unseating Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and trigger a high-stakes Republican primary.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is passing on a bid for US Senate, delivering a major blow to GOP leaders who have spent months trying to lure him into vying for one of their biggest targets of the midterms.

Kemp, a Republican, was considered a strong potential candidate. Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is running for re-election in 2026 in a state Trump carried last year.