Georgia Senate race centers around corruption as Ossoff rallies base

Atlanta, Ga. — Once a place of worship and community in downtown Atlanta, the historic Tabernacle transformed Sunday night from a concert venue to the site of a unifying Democratic Party in Georgia.

Supporters from across the state entered the early 20th-century building on May 31 to hear Sen. Jon Ossoff, up for reelection this fall, rally his base in support of Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta now running as the Democratic nominee for governor.

The two candidates had a clear message — together we win.

Ossoff and Bottoms are both in a period of waiting as their November opponents have yet to be selected. The Republican Senate primary is part of a runoff race on June 16 between U.S. House Rep. Mike Collins and former college football coach Derek Dooley. The Republican gubernatorial primary will also be on the runoff ballot, in a tight race between Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare CEO Rick Jackson.

But both Democratic candidates say ultimately, their opponent doesn't matter, as they all represent the same ideology on the right and would prop up MAGA messaging in support of the Trump Administration.

"Now, I have been asked, who would I rather run against? The election denier who has the support of Donald Trump? Or the billionaire who has spent nearly $100 million hoping to get the support of Donald Trump?" Bottoms said. "They are one and the same. ... We already know we're running against Trump's do-boys."

Ossoff doubles down as 'anti-corruption' candidate

Ossoff has long made corruption and money in politics a key part of his work in Congress, and he continues to bring that messaging into his reelection campaign as his possible opponents face their own accusations of corruption.

In his remarks on Sunday, he said corruption starts at the very top.

"This is the most corrupt administration of all time, and everybody knows it," Ossoff said. "While Americans pay more and get less, while our insurance premiums skyrocket and hospitals close down services, while American service members are wounded and killed in action, the First Family (is) raking in billions of dollars."

Ossoff pointed to Financial Times reporting that found Eric and Don Jr. Trump purchased a stake in an American tungsten mining company just days after the president of Kazakhstan told Trump the company would be granted mining rights in his country. He also cited reporting from the outlet that found a broker for Secretary of War Pete Hegseth looked into buying a defense fund before the first attack on Iran, which would have been a multi-million-dollar investment.

Ossoff said the actions of the "Mar-a-lago Mafia" have "taken American corruption to spectacular new heights," but it is indicative of a much "deeper" issue in American politics.

"American politics is coin-operated. Money goes in, favors come out, and that's why spectacular wealth buys an ever greater share of power over our national affairs, while the mere citizen is treated with contempt," Ossoff said.

He then turned the message on Dooley and Collins, who he said were both "mired in scandal."

"They should have to come out and answer questions about all of it right now. But Atlanta, it doesn't matter which one wins. They're both corrupt political insiders, and they're both pro-war, pro-tariff, and pro cutting your health care. They're both Trump puppets, and we'll beat either of them in November. We will win with a coalition that extends far beyond party lines, because this campaign is not just for Democrats, it's for everyone who sees things spiraling out of our control, longs for sanity and competence, and sees the same old politics failing everywhere across our state."

Dooley, Collins, and their own corruption accusations

Ossoff's message is particularly pointed as both of his opponents have faced accusations of corruption going into the runoff election.

Previously, Collins was subject to a House ethics investigation after he was accused of paying thousands of dollars to a woman romantically linked to one of his staffers for an extended period of time while she held no real position and did no work for his office. Collins has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing during the investigation and kept the staffer as part of his campaign.

That staffer was later fired by Collins after posting a social media comment on behalf of the Collins campaign mocking a woman who attempted suicide after accusing Matt Lauer of rape. The post was later deleted, and Collins apologized and called it "despicable and unauthorized."

Collins was asked about the investigation into his staff by Dooley during an Atlanta Press Club debate on Sunday, where he said "anybody can file a complaint," and he was ultimately proud of the work his team had done.

More recently, Dooley has been accused of being part of a "pay-to-play" scandal involving the current governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, and his longtime friend Daniel Dooley, Derek's brother, according to reporting from 11Alive and other outlets.

Daniel Dooley owns CENTEGIX, a company that sells panic button systems for school districts, a feature that was later made mandatory in Georgia schools by Kemp. Schools were issued grants that would cover the cost of the CENTEGIX system, and WSB-TV reported that by August 2025, 90% of the schools in Georgia used Dooley's product.

Daniel Dooley made millions of dollars from the law change, and in turn donated more than $100,000 to Hardworking Americans, Kemp's political action committee, which is now funding Derek Dooley's Senate campaign.

Kemp's support of Dooley, who has never held political office, has been strong and helped push Dooley to a second-place finish in the primary, leading to the spot in the runoff. Kemp has notably not made an endorsement in the state's governor's race, despite his own lieutenant governor making the runoff, as he dedicates his political weight to the Senate race.

When are runoff races in Georgia?

The runoff election will be held on June 16 across the state. The Republican Senate race and the Republican gubernatorial race are just two of multiple statewide races on the ballot later this month.

For a full list of the runoff election, read USA TODAY's reporting here.

Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].