Atlanta, Georgia: Jon Ossoff Wins Reelection to the U.S. Senate, Projections Say

Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia on Tuesday night, defeating Republican Rep. Mike Collins, according to projections by NBC News and Decision Desk HQ. USA TODAY reported the call at 7:34 p.m. ET, 34 minutes after polls closed across the state at 7 p.m. ET. CNN also projected Ossoff as the winner, the Savannah Morning News reported in its Georgia results list, where the Senate race was the first statewide contest called on Tuesday night.

A seat Democrats had to hold

Ossoff, 39, was the only Democratic senator seeking reelection this year in a state that President Donald Trump carried in 2024, and Georgia was one of the seats Republicans had targeted as they tried to hold their Senate majority. He led Collins in polls throughout the summer, in some cases by double digits, USA TODAY reported. Bloomberg reported that Ossoff led his Republican opponent consistently in the polls and tied higher fuel and food prices to Collins and his votes in the House. His speeches attacking Trump have raised his national profile and made him a rising Democratic star, Bloomberg reported.

An Atlanta start

Ossoff is the youngest member of the Senate at 39 and comes from the Atlanta area. He got his start in politics as an intern for then Rep. John Lewis and later worked as an investigative journalist with a focus on corruption, USA TODAY reported. He first won the seat in a runoff election in January 2021. Ossoff has repeatedly denied any interest in running for president in 2028 and has said his focus is on Georgia, USA TODAY reported.

Georgia kept voting

Georgia voters cast nearly 2.8 million early ballots before Election Day, and more than 1 million people voted on Election Day itself, the Savannah Morning News reported. When the Senate race was called, the race for governor between Republican Rick Jackson and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms had not been called, and neither had the contests for lieutenant governor, secretary of state or attorney general. In the U.S. House, the Savannah Morning News listed District 4 for Hank Johnson, District 5 for Nikema Williams, District 6 for Lucy McBath and District 13 for Jasmine Clark as projected winners on Tuesday night. Control of the Senate for next year remained open as results arrived from other states.

The result means Georgia keeps a Democratic senator in a seat Republicans had counted among their best chances of the night in the South. County level results and the final margin were still being reported late on Tuesday, and the Georgia results will be certified after counties finish their counts.