Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff has picked up endorsements from two Republican mayors in South Georgia, found him drawing 10 percent of Republican voters away from GOP nominee Rep. Mike Collins. The developments underscore Ossoff’s cross-party appeal in one of the 2026 midterm cycle’s most closely watched Senate races.
Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Tifton Mayor Julie Smith announced their support for Ossoff’s reelection in reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Both Republicans praised his constituent service and efforts to bring federal resources to South Georgia.
Republican mayors explain their break with the GOP
The endorsements are notable because they come from one of Georgia’s most conservative regions. Trump carried Tift County, home to Tifton, by nearly 36 percentage points in 2024 and Lowndes County, home to Valdosta, by about 18 points. He also topped 70 percent in many surrounding counties.
Smith said results, rather than party loyalty, drove her decision.
“I look at the record and his record to improve the businesses and communities in my region speaks to me louder than whether I’m a Republican or a Democrat,” she said, adding, “The proof is in the pudding.”
According to the mayor’s office, Ossoff’s staff helped secure funding for the University of Georgia’s local campus, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Tift Regional Medical Center.
Matheson, who describes himself as a “hard-core conservative” and hosts a far-right talk radio show, has developed an unlikely friendship with Ossoff.
“I will take heat for this endorsement and it doesn’t matter,” Matheson said, adding, “There’s no way I can turn my back on this relationship.”
Smith separately praised Ossoff’s responsiveness to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I don’t have to track him down. He tracks me down,” she said. Smith previously served as president of the Georgia Municipal Association.
A third Republican crosses over
The mayors were not the only Republicans to back Ossoff. Former Republican Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake also endorsed the Democrat over Collins, citing his own reasons for supporting the incumbent.
The endorsements come as Collins faces increased scrutiny. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution politics reporter Greg Bluestein wrote that the mayors’ willingness to cross party lines could signal a weakness for Collins, who has struggled to unite Republicans and broaden his appeal after a divisive primary.
How Georgia’s GOP primary unfolded
Collins won the Republican nomination after receiving a last-minute endorsement from Trump in the June GOP runoff, defeating Derek Dooley, who was backed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
The primary exposed divisions within the state’s Republican coalition that could carry into the general election.
Fox News poll shows Ossoff winning GOP crossover votes
A Fox News poll released July 1 found Ossoff leading Collins 56 percent to 43 percent among Georgia registered voters, a 13-point advantage.
The survey, conducted June 23–27, found Ossoff receiving 87 percent support among Black voters, 68 percent among voters under 30, 68 percent among independents, 66 percent among moderates and 66 percent among women under 45.
The poll also showed Ossoff winning 10 percent of Republican voters, while about 3 percent of Democrats said they would support Collins.
Governor’s race shows similar crossover
The same poll found Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms leading Republican Rick Jackson 52 percent to 47 percent in the governor’s race, a margin within the poll’s margin of error.
Ticket-splitting was evident in both directions. Eleven percent of Ossoff supporters said they would vote for Jackson, while 5 percent of Collins supporters backed Lance Bottoms.
Lance Bottoms’ supporters were slightly more certain of their votes than Jackson’s, 80 percent to 75 percent. Both candidates also had net-positive favorability ratings. Lance Bottoms was viewed favorably by 52 percent and unfavorably by 38 percent, while Jackson was at 43 percent favorable and 38 percent unfavorable.
Other polling confirms Ossoff’s advantage
An AARP poll released July 23 and conducted by bipartisan pollsters Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research from July 13–16 found Ossoff leading Collins 52 percent to 43 percent among 1,060 likely voters, with a 3-point margin of error.
The race shifted among older voters, however. Fifty-three percent of voters 50 and older backed Collins, compared with 45 percent for Ossoff. The gap widened among voters 65 and older.
Bob Ward, a partner at Fabrizio Ward, cautioned that “we could see things play out in a way that is not as dire [for Republicans] as this poll is indicating come Election Day.”
Pollster Hogan, also cited in the AARP analysis, said women could prove decisive. Older women favored Ossoff by a single point, while more than half of older Georgia voters identified as current or former family caregivers. Women are more likely than men to hold that role.
A more recent Wick poll showed a closer race, with Ossoff at 46.7 percent and Collins at 42.9 percent — a lead of about 4 points.
Campaigns respond to tightening numbers
An Ossoff campaign spokesperson told Newsweek, “Georgia is a battleground state and Senator Ossoff is already facing millions of dollars of Republican spending against him. The Ossoff campaign will continue to build unstoppable momentum and work to earn every vote across the state of Georgia.”
A Collins campaign spokesperson pushed back on that assessment, telling Newsweek, “Jon Ossoff is below 50%, barely outside the margin of error and nearly tied with Mike Collins despite having nearly a 12-month head start. Georgians want a U.S. Senator with a track record of delivering results for our state, not radical liberal activists.”
A shifting political landscape
Democrats have pointed to other 2026 results as evidence of momentum in Georgia.
In an April 7 special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who resigned from Congress, Republican Clay Fuller won by about 11 points in the deep-red district. That represented a significant narrowing from Trump’s 37-point victory there in 2024.
Greene told Politico in April that Republicans should be concerned, saying a decline of that magnitude in her district “could very much affect the governor’s race, lieutenant governor, secretary” of state races.