Georgia senate race clarified on GOP side with Gov. Kemp out, Rep. Carter in

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter announced Thursday he is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Jon Ossoff.

In a 30-second video posted to his X account, Carter calls himself "Trump warrior." He says Ossoff is on the "wrong side" for his votes on the border and girls' sports.

"Georgians will have a very simple choice in 2026: do you want a MAGA warrior for you or do you want a trans warrior for they/them?" Carter said in the post. "I’m with you. You can guess where Jon Ossoff is."

Carter was first elected to Congress in 2014 after serving terms in the Georgia's House of Representatives and Senate. A pharmacist, he also served as mayor of Pooler, according to the biography on his congressional page.

He is the first Republican to officially announce his candidacy. Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday he would not seek the Senate seat, ending months of speculation.

Other Republican candidates will likely enter the race. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is mentioned as one who could enter a potentially crowded Republican primary race.

Ossoff was elected in 2021 after beating incumbent David Perdue in an early January runoff. Neither candidate won 50% of the vote in the November 2020 election; Libertarian candidate Shane Hazel siphoned off 2% of the vote in the close race.

The Center Square was unsuccessful getting comment before publication from Ossoff's campaign.