Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will headline a fundraiser next week for Rep. Mike Collins, the Republican Senate nominee in Georgia.
The event is scheduled for September 24 in Atlanta, arriving at a critical moment as public polling continues to show Collins trailing Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff.
The fundraiser is billed as a “roundtable and reception benefiting” Collins, with a roundtable set for 6 p.m. and a reception scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Georgia Republicans have privately worried that national party leaders are not directing enough attention to the state, making this high-profile event a potentially significant morale boost.
Thune, as Senate GOP leader, is considered one of the Republican Party’s most prominent and effective fundraisers on the national stage.
Kemp remains a popular figure in Georgia and has strong local ties that could help motivate donors and rally support around Collins heading into the fall campaign stretch.
Kemp had initially backed former football coach Derek Dooley in the Senate GOP primary before endorsing Collins earlier this week, signaling a consolidation of establishment Republican support.
Georgia’s first lady Marty Kemp will also attend the fundraiser, adding to the event’s prominence among Georgia’s Republican donor community.
While Ossoff has consistently led Collins in candidate-level fundraising, Republican party committees and President Donald Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC together hold a substantial financial edge over affiliated Democratic Party committees.
A Trafalgar Group survey conducted September 10 through 12 found Ossoff at 49.4 percent and Collins at 42.8 percent among likely voters, while an August InsiderAdvantage survey put Ossoff at 50.1 percent and Collins at 42.6 percent.
One person close to the Collins campaign, granted anonymity to speak candidly, offered a confident assessment of the race’s trajectory heading into the fundraiser.
“The party is closing ranks behind Mike Collins with two of the strongest fundraisers heading to Atlanta to help him,” that person said.
“That’s not the sign of a candidate in trouble, it’s the sign of a candidate — who has closed the race from 13 to 7 points while being outspent — getting air support to bring this thing home,” the source added.
The fundraising push also comes as Georgia Republicans worry that national attention and resources are being diverted toward other competitive Senate contests in states including Michigan and Maine.
Collins’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the upcoming event or the current state of the race.
