First attack ad churns Georgia's uncertain Republican Senate primary

2026 ElectionFirst attack ad churns Georgia's uncertain Republican Senate primaryAs former football coach Derek Dooley aired his first TV ad of the race on Tuesday, Rep. Buddy Carter launched his first attack, targeting Rep. Mike Collins.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Derek Dooley, Buddy Carter, and Mike Collins are competing for the Republican Senate nomination in Georgia.Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 21, 2026, 3:09 PM EDTBy Bridget Bowman and Dan GalloThe GOP Senate primary in Georgia is heating up one month before voters head to the polls, with Rep. Buddy Carter launching the first attack ad of the race, former football coach Derek Dooley hitting the airwaves and Rep. Mike Collins touting his fundraising. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The three Republicans are vying to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, a top GOP target as the party looks to expand its 53-47 majority in the Senate. With three major candidates dividing the May 19 primary vote, and President Donald Trump so far declining to pick a favorite, the race is expected to head to a June 16 runoff. So far, Carter’s campaign has dominated the airwaves, spending $5.5 million in ads through the primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. Dooley has spent $519,000 while Collins has spent $170,000, largely on digital ads. Carter’s latest ad, which launched on Monday, knocks Collins as he faces an Ethics Committee investigation for allegedly misusing congressional funds by paying his former chief of staff for campaign work and by employing that aide's girlfriend, who did not do work for the office. The Office of Congressional Conduct issued a report late last year saying “there is substantial reason to believe Rep. Collins used congressional resources for unofficial or otherwise unauthorized purposes.” Collins spokesman Corbin Keown told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the ethics complain...