With the 2026 midterm elections fast approaching, Democrats have been scrambling to find new ways to connect with voters — particularly young men, a demographic with which the party struggled mightily in 2024 — and thus far, they appear to have settled on a popular streamer who claimed that the United States &#8220;deserved&#8221; 9/11.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sad-michigan-muslims-drove-dem-senate-hopeful-to-silence-on-khamenei">Hasan Piker</a>, who boasts over four million followers between YouTube and Twitch, has hosted Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D-NYC), and endorsed Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) — and is set to campaign with Democratic Michigan Senatorial hopeful Abdul El-Sayed.
Not all Democrats are willing to stretch the party&#8217;s tent quite that far, however, and have warned others not to welcome Piker too warmly.
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who is also vying for the Democratic Senate nomination, has accused El-Sayed of intentionally bringing in someone with a reputation for spreading &#8220;antisemitic rhetoric.&#8221;
El-Sayed defended his choice, saying, &#8220;If we want to have a conversation where we’re actually bringing people together about the things that we need and deserve, we’re gonna have to go to unlikely and uncommon places.&#8221;
He also defended his association with Piker — who said the sexual violence and rapes that occurred during the October 7 terrorist attack did not change his opinion that Hamas was &#8220;1,000 times better than Israel&#8221; — during a recent appearance on Fox News.
&#8220;America&#8217;s Newsroom&#8221; anchor Bill Hemmer asked El-Sayed, &#8220;With regard to October 7th, he said that what Hamas did is the lesser of two evils. Why saddle up with that?&#8221;
El-Sayed claimed that his interested in appearing with Piker was no different than his interest in appearing on Fox News, and was nothing more than an attempt to reach more potential voters.
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Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defending his event with Hasan Piker: &#8220;Doesn&#8217;t matter if r*pes happened on October 7th.&#8221;
This is what passes for leadership in today&#8217;s Democratic Party. <a href="https://t.co/Im4h7WGJQp">pic.twitter.com/Im4h7WGJQp</a>
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2039345494724387039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Senator John Fetterman voiced his shock that some in his party weren&#8217;t just agreeing with Piker, but were seeking him out: &#8220;I mean, my God, you have many in my party, they&#8217;re proud to do events with Hasan Piker. This is the individual that said that America deserved 9/11.&#8221;
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BREAKING: Senator Fetterman slams members of the Democrat party for associating with Hasan Piker.
“I mean, my God, you have many in my party, they&#8217;re proud to do events with Hasan Piker. This is the individual that said that America deserved 9/11.” <a href="https://t.co/DBpXQyAt6S">pic.twitter.com/DBpXQyAt6S</a>
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) <a href="https://twitter.com/EYakoby/status/2040935080575598663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The Bulwark&#8217;s Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell <a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/p/is-hasan-piker-toxic-or-gettable">debated</a> whether or not the Democratic Party would be wise to embrace Piker or reject him. Miller argued that although he didn&#8217;t agree with Piker&#8217;s politics, he thought that Democrats would be wise to appear on his show — and then said that if the party establishment were to shun him entirely, they would only make him more powerful.
Longwell laid out a number of the problematic things Piker had said, arguing that he was &#8220;all the toxic things&#8221; and his &#8220;worldview&#8221; was entirely incompatible with anything any Democrat in America claims to stand for.
Some of the comments that Longwell laid out as problematic were as follows:
<h4>&#8220;If you cared about Medicare fraud &#8230; you would kill Rick Scott.&#8221;</h4>
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Democrat spokesperson Hasan Piker urged his audience to kill Republican lawmakers.
PIKER: “If you cared about Medicare fraud&#8230;you would kill Rick Scott.”
This is the SICK LUNATIC who Democrats are campaigning with. <a href="https://t.co/vgccGZSbem">pic.twitter.com/vgccGZSbem</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2041540038714929217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h4>On landlords who choose not to rent properties, &#8220;KiII the motherf*ckers. Let the streets soak in their red, capitalist bIood!&#8221;</h4>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hasan Piker: &#8220;KiII the motherf*ckers. Let the streets soak in their red, capitalist bIood!&#8221;
Democrats are campaigning with him <a href="https://t.co/YxiL47tOOw">pic.twitter.com/YxiL47tOOw</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2041269836399940076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h4>&#8220;Hezbollah &#8230; I think as a resistance group, they&#8217;re pretty successful &#8230; I don&#8217;t have an issue with them.&#8221;</h4>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hasan Piker, who endorses Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff, also endorses terrorists:
PIKER: &#8220;Hezbollah&#8230;I think as a resistance group, they&#8217;re pretty successful&#8230;I don&#8217;t have an issue with them&#8230;they are a terrorist organization&#8230;&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/ossoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ossoff</a>, why haven&#8217;t you condemned this? <a href="https://t.co/6hEhC20FPf">pic.twitter.com/6hEhC20FPf</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2040157561333125437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h4>&#8220;America deserved 9/11. I do not support the United States of America.&#8221;</h4>
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Hasan Piker: “America deserved 9/11. I do not support the United States of America.”
This is Gavin Newsom’s new friend btw.
<a href="https://t.co/LDjizrQgVN">pic.twitter.com/LDjizrQgVN</a>
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) <a href="https://twitter.com/EYakoby/status/2037028037556941014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h4>&#8220;Overall, my favorite flag is Hezbollah.&#8221;</h4>
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Hasan Piker, sitting at a table with an LGBTQ+ flag, says: “Overall, my favorite flag is Hezbollah.”
This is progressivism today—a guy in a tank top, in the West, praising a terror group that executes gay people, right in front of a pride flag. <a href="https://t.co/9QrtKqMKnl">pic.twitter.com/9QrtKqMKnl</a>
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) <a href="https://twitter.com/EYakoby/status/2040544322278338951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h4>&#8220;Hasan Piker closed his Stanford speech by framing the U.S. as the &#8216;belly of the beast,&#8217; urging students to use their position inside it to &#8216;fight&#8217; the system, warning of &#8216;techno-fascist danger,&#8217; and ending with &#8216;Free Palestine.'&#8221;</h4>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
For those curious, Hasan Piker closed his Stanford speech by framing the U.S. as the “belly of the beast,” urging students to use their position inside it to “fight” the system, warning of “techno-fascist danger,” and ending with “Free Palestine.” <a href="https://t.co/8OdSZgE3M8">pic.twitter.com/8OdSZgE3M8</a>
— Stu Smith (@thestustustudio) <a href="https://twitter.com/thestustustudio/status/2039706184261795984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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If the 2024 election taught Democrats that they need to do more outreach to young men, the 2026 midterms might teach the party that the voice they choose to do that outreach matters.

Hasan Piker online streamer, influencer, and left-wing

Dems Are Scrambling To Campaign With Terrorist Groupie Who Says America ‘Deserved’ 9/11

Dems Are Scrambling To Campaign With Terrorist Groupie Who Says America 'Deserved' 9/11

9/11

Democrats

Hezbollah

John Fetterman

Jon Ossoff

Ro Khanna

terrorist

Long lines and delays at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have become a flashpoint in the competitive United States Senate race in Georgia.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) faced immediate criticism from Republican primary candidates in his state for voting against funding the Department of Homeland Security, which has resulted in TSA agents and other essential DHS personnel working without pay. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the lone Democrat who voted to fund the DHS.
“Jon Ossoff and Democrats caused this to protect illegal aliens. That’s it,” Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) posted to X in response to a <a href="https://x.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/2035727466375905481?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> showing the lines. The airport had informed travelers to arrive four hours early for their flights on Monday.
Former NCAA football coach and Republican Senate hopeful Derek Dooley pointed out the contrast between Fetterman and Ossoff on the shutdown in a video he posted from the airport on Sunday.
“It&#8217;s ridiculous. That&#8217;s exactly why we need new leadership in D.C. This is nothing about the people. We need leaders who are gonna put their people first,” <a href="https://x.com/DerekDooleyGA/status/2035810012681920769?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dooley</a> said.
“Just a bunch of politics. Come on, Ossoff. Fetterman agrees. He&#8217;s not for this. He&#8217;s a Democrat. And listen, where&#8217;s the rest of Congress?” he said, calling for a solution to resolve the shutdown, which started over disagreements about federal immigration enforcement policies.
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) dubbed it the “Schumer-Ossoff Shutdown” in one <a href="https://x.com/RepBuddyCarter/status/2036100550035411339?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>, and plainly stated in another <a href="https://x.com/RepBuddyCarter/status/2036111733102661690?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> that the six-hour lines at TSA in Atlanta are “because Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff voted to SHUT DOWN the Department of Homeland Security.”
As negotiations continue in Washington, Senate Democrats have argued that Republicans are not interested in funding TSA. Republicans voted against a move by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to fund federal airport employees, though it would leave out other agencies within DHS.
“Donald Trump’s obstruction is denying TSA workers pay and creating havoc at airports. While negotiations continue over ICE, there is no reason TSA should be held hostage. Republicans must stop blocking TSA funding immediately,” Ossoff said in a <a href="https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/new-senate-republicans-block-tsa-funding-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on March 21.
When his campaign was contacted by The Daily Wire for comment on the Republican criticism, they deferred to a comment from the Democratic Party of Georgia.
“Senate Democrats have called for funding TSA for weeks, and Republicans have blocked it every step of the way because they are taking orders from Donald Trump,” DPG Chair Charlie Bailey said in a statement. “We could pay TSA agents and end the chaos at airports across the country if Republicans like Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, and Derek Dooley told their Party to quit standing in the way and get it done.”
A 2017 <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/jon-ossoff-race-first-real-battle-millennials-vs-trump-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mother Jones</a> story noted that Ossoff has had a pilot&#8217;s license since he was a teen, and described his plans at the time to rent a Cessna plane for a short hiking trip in the Appalachian Mountains with his friends. <a href="https://freebeacon.com/elections/ossoff-whose-father-took-1-mil-from-govt-relief-fund-slams-greedy-business-owners-for-raiding-ppp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Free Beacon</a> reported in 2020 that Ossoff’s businessman father bought a private plane in 2014.
As for the Republicans in the race, President Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement ahead of May 19. Whoever wins the race will be in one of the most competitive elections in the country in 2026. Ossoff is the only incumbent Democrat in a “toss-up” race, according to the <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a>.
“Jon Ossoff cares more about protecting illegals like Laken Riley&#8217;s killer than standing with hardworking Georgians,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia stated. “Ossoff never refuses a chance to use Georgians as political pawns. Ossoff must stop putting illegals first and end his DHS shutdown.”
ICE agents were sent to assist at airports across the nation on Monday, including Hartsfield-Jackson, as hundreds of TSA agents have called out or quit. The Atlanta airport alone had a callout rate of 41.5% on Sunday, according to <a href="https://x.com/krisvancleave/status/2036100167695507499?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.

One In Ten Airport Screeners Skip Work As Funding Fight Drags On

Travel Headaches Take On Political Weight — With A Critical Vote In Focus

Battleground Democrat Senator Slammed For Airport Fiasco In His State: 'Ridiculous'

2026 election

Airports

Georgia

homeland security

Immigration

Senate

Transportation

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has remained skeptical of the Trump administration&#8217;s &#8220;Operation Epic Fury,&#8221; despite previously saying he could support the use of military force against Iran.
In a statement over the weekend, the Georgia Democrat said President Donald Trump “has presented no evidence that Iran or its nuclear program – which he falsely claimed to have &#8216;obliterated’ – pose an imminent threat to the United States, or that diplomacy was exhausted.”
“Iran&#8217;s support for terrorism and uranium enrichment have long destabilized the region. But sending American forces into harm&#8217;s way should only ever be a last resort,” he added, warning against what he described as a potential “regime change war-of-choice.”
Ossoff said he plans to back a War Powers Resolution in Congress, expressing frustration that the military operation occurred “without the consent of Congress.&#8221; The Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday on a resolution aimed at limiting further U.S. military action, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-vote-iran-war-powers-resolution-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.
However, Ossoff struck a different tone during a 2017 congressional debate, when he said he would support military actions under certain circumstances.
“If Iran poses an imminent threat to Israel, to the United States, to any of our allies, then we should use force to prevent them from striking our allies,” Ossoff said at the time.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Georgia 6th District Debate on WSB-TV: Jon Ossoff and Karen Handel" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5aMlKhn401U?start=3420&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“And as we seek to ensure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapons capability, if economic policy, diplomatic policy, are unsuccessful in dissuading them from developing a nuclear weapon, then we should be prepared to use force if necessary,” he said.
The Daily Wire reached out to Sen. Ossoff&#8217;s office and campaign to clarify what threshold he believes would justify military action and whether his position has changed.
Democrats have largely criticized the operation, though some have voiced support. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has defended the strikes.
“Every member in the U.S. Senate agrees we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. I’m baffled why so many are unwilling to support the only action to achieve that,” Fetterman posted to X on Monday. “Empty sloganeering vs. commitment to global security — which is it?”
The debate is likely to spill into the campaign season. Ossoff is up for re-election this November in a race the Cook Political Report ranks as a “toss-up.” He could face Reps. Mike Collins or Buddy Carter, or former football coach Derek Dooley, depending on who wins the Republican primary.
“Jewish Georgians deserve a Senator they can count on to fight the antisemitism rampant in the Democrat Party. But Jon Ossoff says one thing in Georgia and then does another in D.C. — caving to pro-Hamas radicals,” Nick Puglia, National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary, said in a statement.

OSSOFF FLIP-FLOP: Georgia Dem Was For Hitting Iran — Until Trump Did It

Congress

Iran

Israel

Military

Politics

Immigration is emerging as a central issue in Georgia&#8217;s competitive Senate race as the second anniversary of Laken Riley&#8217;s murder approaches. Riley, a nursing student, was killed in Athens, Georgia, by an illegal immigrant in a case that sparked national debate over border security.
The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee released a digital ad on Friday, shared with The Daily Wire, targeting Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) over his immigration record. The spot accuses Ossoff of voting &#8220;in lockstep with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,&#8221; arguing their policies flooded our borders &#8220;with dangerous criminal illegals.”
&#8220;Jon Ossoff voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris&#8217; open borders policies every step of the way, and the consequences have been deadly for victims like Laken Riley. Ossoff fights for criminal illegals and Georgians pay the price,&#8221; NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said.
The ad also highlights comments Ossoff made in 2020 during a virtual event, saying, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s the role of local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jon Ossoff Fights for Criminal Illegals" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fQsH1SJTb8k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ossoff ultimately voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act along with some other Democrats. However, Republicans criticized him earlier in the legislative process, arguing that he and other Democrats opposed the proposal when it was previously tied to broader spending negotiations in March 2024, according to <a href="https://www.wccsradio.com/2026/01/29/vulnerable-dems-support-for-alex-pretti-collides-with-laken-riley-act-anniversary/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WCCS.</a> The bill later passed with bipartisan support in January 2025.
In January, Puglia said Ossoff “refused to champion the Laken Riley Act and only flip-flopped on the life-saving legislation when it was politically expedient for him.”
The Senate fight comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faces a funding lapse amid disagreements between Republicans and Democrats on federal immigration enforcement tactics. While ICE, which falls under DHS, is still largely funded under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed by President Donald Trump last year, the broader standoff has affected other DHS agencies, including FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard.
“When federal police are wearing masks, that’s a real bad sign,” Ossoff said <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTeAySsjXiM/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> on the campaign trail. Democrats have called for ending the use of face coverings by federal immigration authorities during enforcement operations.
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the Georgia Senate race as a toss-up, placing it among the most competitive contests in the country alongside Maine, North Carolina, and Michigan.
On the Republican side, Reps. Mike Collins, Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley are competing in the Senate primary. Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp backs Dooley, while Trump has yet to endorse a candidate.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Ossoff campaign for comment.
Trump visited Georgia on Thursday amid heightened political activity, including a special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a once-staunch ally of the president who had a falling-out with him late last year.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

She Should Still Be Here — Laken Riley’s Case Reshapes Crucial Senate Race

Elections

Laken Riley

The 2026 midterms are about as high-stakes as elections can be.
Thirty-five Senate seats are up for grabs next November, as are all 435 House seats. Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both houses of Congress — one that could get even slimmer with the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-is-resigning-heres-what-happens-now?author=Amber+Jo+Cooper&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Marjorie+Taylor+Greene+Is+Resigning.+Here%E2%80%99s+What+Happens+Now." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> coming resignation</a> of Marjorie Taylor Greene. The results of the elections could shape the final two years of President Donald Trump&#8217;s time in the White House. The midterms will also loom over the 2028 presidential election, particularly for Democrats, who do not have an obvious candidate waiting in the wings.
We&#8217;re still a ways out, but many of the most crucial races are already heating up. Here are five races to keep an eye on.
<h3>Texas</h3>
The cycle&#8217;s most heated election began months ago when Trump ally and Texas Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ken-paxton-to-probe-womens-weightlifting-competition-after-trans-identified-athlete-wins-gold?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ken+Paxton+To+Probe+Women%E2%80%99s+Weightlifting+Competition+After+Trans-Identified+Athlete+Wins+Gold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Paxton</a> announced a challenge to longtime Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton has argued that Cornyn is too establishment to continue representing the state, saying that “Cornyn’s Swamp friends are spending tens of millions of dollars to attack me.&#8221; Cornyn in turn has called Paxton a “conman and a fraud,&#8221; the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-senate-paxton-cornyn-bc9dcc271c97ad1d724383397e5807c6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> reported earlier this year.
The winner of that primary will face off against either Colin Allred, a former congressman, or State Rep. James Talarico, who made national headlines in 2021 when he and a group of Democrat colleagues <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-who-fled-texas-to-subvert-democracy-mocked-for-playing-victim-card-you-guys-are-pathetic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fled Texas</a> to prevent the state legislature from voting on bills they opposed. More recently, Talarico — who has pitched himself as a Christian Democrat — came under fire after it was revealed that he followed a number of <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/15/us-news/james-talarico-caught-following-more-onlyfans-models-and-prostitutes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OnlyFans models</a> on Instagram.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, whose radical outbursts are almost too numerous to mention, is also weighing entering the race — which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crazy-radical-democrats-republicans-welcome-jasmine-crocketts-potential-senate-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans thrilled.</a>
<h3>Maine</h3>
Like John Cornyn, Susan Collins has caught plenty of flak from her fellow Republicans in recent years. But the moderate senator&#8217;s main concern as she runs for a fifth term comes from Democrats, not a primary challenger.
Maine Governor Janet Mills lost an early lead to populist upstart Graham Platner — though the oyster farmer blew an early lead with a series of scandals, including resurfaced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-called-himself-a-communist-made-racist-comments-in-reddit-posts?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem+Senate+Hopeful+Called+Himself+A+Communist%2C+Made+Racist+Comments+In+Reddit+Posts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit posts</a> in which he slammed cops and called himself a “communist,” and the revelation that he had a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-has-known-about-his-tattoos-nazi-connotations-since-2012?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Has+Known+About+His+Tattoo%E2%80%99s+Nazi+Connotations+Since+2012" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Nazi symbol</a> tattooed on his chest.
Platner has been<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platners-treasurer-switch-marks-yet-another-exit-from-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> bleeding staff</a> in the wake of these revelations, including his campaign manager, political director, and national finance manager.
Despite all this, Platner still seems to be the Democrat to beat — though a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-voters-embrace-susan-collins-the-more-they-learn-about-graham-platner-poll?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Maine+Voters+Embrace+Susan+Collins+The+More+They+Learn+About+Graham+Platner%3A+Poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> recent poll</a> found that voters favor Collins the more they learn about Platner.
<h3>Michigan</h3>
In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and Abdul El-Sayed are seeing who can run furthest to the Left.
McMorrow recently held a fundraiser with a leftist blogger who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-democrat-teams-up-with-leftist-blogger-who-mocked-charlie-kirk-after-assassination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mocked</a> Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination. Stevens, who endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), once <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democratic-lawmaker-screams-at-constituents-over-nra-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">screamed at her constituents</a> for supporting the Second Amendment. And El-Sayed, who&#8217;s backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), blamed Israel for &#8220;invading&#8221; Gaza in October 2023, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-candidate-accuses-israel-of-invading-gaza-in-oct-7-fundraising-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failing to mention</a> that the &#8220;invasion&#8221; in question was a military response to Hamas&#8217;s October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians.
Whichever Democrat emerges victorious from the fray will face off against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-michigan-gop-congressman-launches-2nd-senate-bid-after-coming-up-short-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Rogers</a>, a Trump-endorsed former congressman who lost his 2024 Senate race by a tiny margin.
<h3>Ohio</h3>
Rogers isn&#8217;t the only lawmaker staging a political comeback in 2026. In Ohio,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-dem-sherrod-brown-plots-senate-comeback?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ohio+Dem+Sherrod+Brown+Plots+Senate+Comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sherrod Brown</a> — a longtime leftist fixture in the Upper Chamber who fell last year to Republican Bernie Moreno — is running against Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was tapped to fill Vice President JD Vance&#8217;s seat.
Brown was dogged with allegations of hypocrisy throughout his time in the Senate, something The Daily Wire<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-dem-sherrod-brown-plots-senate-comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> frequently covered</a>. The leftist was slammed for taking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-democrat-senator-took-thousands-of-dollars-in-donations-from-pharma-companies-at-center-of-opioid-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donations</a> from drug companies at the center of the opioid crisis and<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-is-still-suffering-but-ohios-democrat-senator-took-time-for-a-hollywood-fundraiser" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> attending</a> a ritzy Hollywood fundraiser while constituents worried about the water quality at their home after the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine.
<h3>California</h3>
Of all the House seats up for grabs in 2026 — and, remember, that&#8217;s all of them — the most closely-watched is California, where Democrats are fighting to fill former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s soon-to-be-vacated seat.
Pelosi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-pelosi-successor-pushed-a-bill-so-woke-even-the-new-york-times-has-doubts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> wants San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed her. But the candidate to beat is California State Senator Scott Wiener, a man so radical that even the New York Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-pelosi-successor-pushed-a-bill-so-woke-even-the-new-york-times-has-doubts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has its doubts</a> about him.
From radical trans activism to legalizing prostitution and pedophilia, there&#8217;s almost nothing Wiener doesn&#8217;t want the state to permit — unless of course parents don&#8217;t want their minor children to undergo radical gender procedures, in which case he thinks the state should be able to take custody of those children.
Wiener&#8217;s record is almost too insane to believe, but The Daily Wire recently published the definitive account of this wannabe congressman. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-scott-wiener-nancy-pelosis-likely-replacement-probably-thinks-youre-a-bigot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Give it a read here.</a>
<h3>Georgia</h3>
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff will be defending his seat against a Republican challenger yet to be determined. The current frontrunners are Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.
The race is expected to be extraordinarily expensive, as Ossoff already has $21 million in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S8GA00180/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> data</a>. Although it&#8217;s unclear who the nominee on the Republican side will be, millions are already pouring in for the individual candidates at this stage,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-expensive-race-to-unseat-a-vulnerable-democratic-senator" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The Daily Wire</a> reported in October.
Ossoff most recently made waves for his vote against reopening the government, a vote that Republicans will likely lord over him throughout the cycle.
<h3>But Wait, There&#8217;s More&#8230;</h3>
North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is set to square off against Republican Michael Whatley. Former Senators John Sununu and Scott Brown are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-gop-senator-enters-highly-competitive-race-in-hopes-to-flip-new-hampshire-red" target="_blank" rel="noopener">duking it out</a> in a New Hampshire primary. Redistricting battles are sure to make house races <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-redistricting-battle-keeps-getting-messier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spicy</a> in Texas, Indiana, North Carolina, and more. And just for fun, the weirdest scion of the Kennedy family is running alongside about a dozen other Democrats to represent a district in the heart of Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s Manhattan.
It&#8217;s going to be a heck of a cycle. Stick with The Daily Wire, we&#8217;ll be covering it all!

Untitled design (75)

These Are The Most Important Races To Watch In The 2026 Midterms

house

Susan Collins

Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derek-dooley-reepublican-senate-georgia-tennessee-ossoff-a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c">threw his hat in the ring</a> as a Georgia GOP senatorial candidate for 2026 on Monday.
Dooley, 57, the son of famed University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, obtained his law degree from the University of Georgia and briefly practiced law before turning to football, where he became head coach at Louisiana Tech, then Tennessee before serving as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Missouri, the New York Giants and the University of Alabama.
Dooley is backed by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who declined to run for the Senate seat to replace Democrat Jon Ossoff, who won his seat in 2020.
“The only thing that matters to me is that people of Georgia are proud of who’s representing them in Washington, D.C.,” Dooley said in his campaign launch video. “President Trump campaigned on things and he’s turned them into results; I haven’t known a president in my lifetime who’s been able to achieve these kind of results. That’s what the people want; they want somebody who means what they say, say what they mean, and then go deliver results.”
Turning to Ossoff, he declared, “Professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem. Lawlessness, open season on the border, inflation everywhere, woke stuff, that’s what they represent. We need new leadership in Georgia. That’s why I’m running for Senate.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0HX7YVxZyiI?si=KhANqp7VVZdu5kbq" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Dooley’s chief rival for the GOP senatorial nod is Congressman Mike Collins, who has gained endorsements from various Republicans, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
At the end of March, a non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), filed a complaint against Ossoff, accusing him of violating Senate ethics rules by directly linking official action to a request for campaign contributions.
FACT sent a<a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_c14ec0e53bc2448e9a98a4a0e4c00122.pdf"> letter</a> to Ethics Committee Chairman Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice-Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) in which they stated:
<blockquote>
On March 14th, 2025, Senator Ossoff sent out an email that contained only two subjects: (1) that he planned to vote against a specific bill; and (2) a request for a campaign contribution. The email began with the statement, “I will vote ‘NO’ on the Trump/Musk/Johnson ‘CR.’” Following several statements about the bill, he then makes a direct request for a campaign contribution: “If you can afford it, please rush $5 to Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign today. If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue, we’ll process your contribution instantly.” 
</blockquote>
“Senate Ethics Rules specifically prohibit Senators from soliciting campaign contributions based upon any action taken in their official capacity,” the letter continued. “By linking a promise of official action with campaign contributions, a Senator violates a ‘basic principle’ of Senate Ethics that guards against conflicts of interest.”
Additionally, Ossoff, who is Jewish, voted in favor of a resolution to block the sale of some weapons to Israel in November 2024, and last week voted against selling U.S. automatic assault rifles to Israel, and <a href="https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-statement-on-jrd-votes/">joined other anti-Israel Democrats</a> in blaming the Israeli government &#8211; and not the terrorist group Hamas &#8211; for starving the people of Gaza. He said, “I do not believe the United States Senate should acquiesce without objection to the extreme mass deprivation of civilians in Gaza, including the intolerable starvation of children, that have resulted from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”

Tennessee Volunteers v Arkansas Razorbacks

Former Tennessee Football Coach Enters Georgia Senate Race As Republican

Senate GOP

U.S. Senate

Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins announced Monday his entrance into the Georgia Senate race, vowing to &#8220;steamroll the radical Left&#8221; and deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.
The second-term congressman is challenging Senator Jon Ossoff, who narrowly won his first term in 2020 shortly after the January 6 riots, edging out GOP incumbent Sen. David Perdue in a runoff election. Ossoff is <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-ally-mike-collins-launch-key-battleground-state-bid-flip-democrat-held-senate-seat">seen</a> by many in the GOP as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat incumbent in 2026, as Trump carried the state in 2024, according to Fox News.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know who Jon Ossoff really works for, but it sure as heck isn&#8217;t Georgia,&#8221; Collins says in his campaign launch video posted on X. &#8220;Jon Ossoff does not represent Georgia&#8217;s values and has attacked our state&#8217;s best interests at every opportunity. He&#8217;s voted to raise taxes on Georgia families, supercharge inflation, open our Southern Border, and allow men to play women&#8217;s sports.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m in. <a href="https://t.co/Bxhm4e8jp2">pic.twitter.com/Bxhm4e8jp2</a>
— Mike Collins (@MikeCollinsGA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1949786569759482010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Collins, a prominent Georgia businessman elected to the House in 2022, is a close ally of President Trump and features audio of the president praising him in his launch video.
&#8220;Mike Collins. Mike, you were fantastic. He loves this state, and he took this very personally,&#8221; Trump says in the clip.
Collins highlights his work on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law">Laken Riley Act</a>, legislation that strengthens detention capabilities for federal officials dealing with undocumented immigrants charged with crimes like theft and burglary. The legislation was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February 2024.
The bill, which Collins sponsored, was the first piece of legislation Trump signed into law during his second term.
Collins, whose family owns a trucking company, promises to &#8220;send a trucker to the U.S. Senate to steamroll the radical left, deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda, and put the people of Georgia back in the driver&#8217;s seat.&#8221;
Collins enters an increasingly competitive Republican primary. Rep. Buddy Carter has already announced his candidacy, with both candidates <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5423594-gop-primary-georgia-senate/">courting</a> Trump&#8217;s endorsement, according to The Hill. Other candidates, such as former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, are also rumored to be considering a run.
Ossoff has been building a substantial war chest, reporting double-digit fundraising hauls over recent quarters, as he prepares for what will likely be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in 2026, alongside North Carolina, after former Governor Roy Cooper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-former-gov-roy-cooper-runs-for-senate-turning-north-carolina-into-2026s-key-battleground?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Leftist+Former+Gov+Roy+Cooper+Runs+For+Senate%2C+Turning+North+Carolina+Into+2026%E2%80%99s+Key+Battleground">announced</a> his run on Monday.

WASHINGTON, DC – JAN 09: Representative Mike Collins speaks at

Pro-Trump Rep. Mike Collins Jumps Into Georgia Senate Race To Unseat Leftist Jon Ossoff

2026 Midterms

Brian Kemp

Mike Collins

Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment of a six-part series by pollster Brent Buchanan on the politics of the American South. Last week, Buchanan took a close look at North Carolina. Today, he dives into another swing state — Georgia — to tell the story of the South&#8217;s political crossroads.
We hope you enjoy.
—
Georgia isn’t just a battleground. It’s the South’s political crossroads, where more regional identities collide than anywhere else.
While some of the regions are too small to have an outsized influence on statewide races, their presence as a mixing agent within the more prominent regions cements Georgia’s unofficial status as the capital of the South – and the ultimate test for both parties.
Our analysis of Southern politics found that Georgia contains more of the South’s distinct regions than any other state. From a wall of “Trumpian Highlands” banding the northern border of the state, to pockets of hardened “Sweet Tea Suburbs” and a sprawling “Dixieland” with vestiges of the “Soulful South,” and a surprising emergence of “Republican Resettlers” encroaching up from Florida, pundits and politicos alike have their eyes on Georgia and especially its upcoming 2026 gubernatorial and Senate races.
“Georgia as a high-profile state is nothing new to politics,” said Nicholas Valdiviez, Cygnal’s Sampling Lead for this comprehensive analysis. “But when you look at the state through the lens of our unique regional analysis, Georgia has more complex regions at play than any other state, and in the context of the 2026 midterm elections, those complexities help explain the intrigue of unseating Senator Jon Ossoff (D) and holding onto the Governor’s mansion.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-919423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map-525x576.png" alt="" width="525" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map-525x576.png 525w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map-273x300.png 273w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map.png 562w" sizes=" (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></div>
It’s true that Georgia’s status as a swing state is almost exclusively driven by the fact that a still-deeply-red state is represented by two far-Left senators. It just so happens that it’s time for Ossoff to defend his seat (and abysmal record out of step with most of even purple Georgia) against an unknown Republican challenger, now that outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp (a longtime Cygnal client) has ruled out a run to unseat Ossoff.
<h3>A Complex Political Patchwork: The Peach State Defies Simple Labels.</h3>
Speaking about a possible Kemp Senate run, nationally syndicated radio host Erick Erickson noted that many governors-turned-senators find themselves unhappy in the world’s greatest deliberative body.
And Kemp understands — perhaps better than any other elected official in Georgia — that while the state’s political map might look like a simple red versus blue situation articulating an urban-rural divide, it’s actually a mosaic of regions with overlapping and rapidly changing political identities.
Take the so-called “Black Belt,” a region with high concentrations of Black voters, which delivers reliably Democratic margins in states like Alabama and Mississippi. In Georgia, the Black Belt runs from Columbus to Macon to Augusta — where it displays fewer characteristics of the monolithic voting bloc it used to be.
Today, this region is dominated by what we’ve dubbed “Dixieland” voters. Unlike other areas in the state — especially surrounding Atlanta, which have seen high-impact demographic swings — voters in Georgia’s Black Belt region now demonstrate voting patterns more akin to Dixieland, which is just over 15% African American, than ever before.
The demographics are the same, but the sentiment has changed. Dixieland voters have the highest propensity for weekly religious services of any group at 37%, and the lowest “not religious” population at 14%, combined with one of the highest rates of any of the regions who say the country is on the right track +21, and +35 support for Trump.
DATA NOTE: When we conducted this analysis, we fully expected the well-known Black Belt to emerge as a prominent visual feature on our Georgia map — but it didn’t — and, like many of the other elements covered in this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/brent-buchanan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series</a>, it further demonstrates just how dynamic and consequential the South has become to political power in the United States. 
Two additional trends are emerging in Georgia, both influenced by neighboring states, again proving the regionality of our analysis is shaping the South’s political map.
First, in the northern part of the state, where the Trumpian Highlands extend all the way down from Tennessee until they meet those <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyond-the-swing-why-southern-suburbs-refuse-to-budge?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Beyond+The+Swing%3A+Why+Southern+Suburbs+Refuse+To+Budge%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hardened “Sweet Tea Suburbs&#8221;</a> that surround Atlanta, with another small pocket around the state line near Chattanooga. This is where speculated senate candidate and firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene hails from, and all three of the congressional districts in that area are held by Republicans. These are some of the most Republican areas in the country, with Georgia’s 14th and 9th congressional districts voting for Trump by an imposing 68-31 and 67-33 margins, respectively.
As our data below indicate, before 2016, Republicans won in the Dixieland portions of Georgia by an average of 29%. But in the Trump Era, that margin rose to 39%. Notably, even with a minor dip in 2020, Dixieland recovered quickly for the 2024 cycle, shifting 4% back to the right from 2020, and up 3% compared to 2016.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-919425" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Pre-Post-Trump-Regional-Names.png" alt="" width="515" height="177" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Pre-Post-Trump-Regional-Names.png 515w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Pre-Post-Trump-Regional-Names-300x103.png 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px" /></div>
Unlike Part IV of this series, where North Carolina’s divisions created a sort of mixing zone between east and west, the Trumpian Highlands of Georgia create a hard line between Atlanta’s suburbs. This makes some of the regional fluidity we see in other areas of the South less evident in Northern Georgia. Factor in those collar counties of Henry, Rockdale, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb surrounding Atlanta, and the political picture of north Georgia makes this part of the state less likely to produce surprises or statewide leaders.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-919431" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2-470x576.png" alt="" width="470" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2-470x576.png 470w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2-245x300.png 245w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2.png 508w" sizes=" (max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px" /></div>
Georgia has another political encroachment from its neighbor to the south, Florida. In our analysis, we identified “Republican Resettlers,” areas that have absorbed a significant influx of newcomers, many times from more liberal states, who are self-selecting for conservative communities. Unlike legacy Southern strongholds, Republican Resettlers’ political identity is shaped more by recent population movement and community choice than by deep historical roots. This growth in southeast Georgia, where we’ve seen Republican Resettlers’ encroachment, is mirrored in population increases in the mentioned areas from 2020 to 2022.
As Georgia remains an attractive place for many of these voters, our maps show this region, while not yet decisive, is quietly growing as conservatives migrate north along the coast toward places like Brunswick, Savannah, and even Valdosta. That’s a trend worth watching as the state’s population continues to surge.
“Nobody argues that Georgia is evolving politically, or that it’s a key state, especially with all the media attention surrounding Ossoff’s very vulnerable position,” said Valdiviez. “But what our analysis and maps show is a state that has both hardened lines of political division and zones of increasing transition. It proves that two things can be true in a marquee southern state: Georgia is prone to rigidity and it’s not immune to prevailing regional shifts.”
<h3>So What? Why The Patchwork Matters.</h3>
Georgia’s regional complexity isn’t just a curiosity for pollsters like us or casual and professional political junkies — it is a real-world challenge for campaigns and an absolute bellwether for the national parties — even if Ossoff is on the ropes for 2026. With so many overlapping and shifting identities, the Peach State forces both Democrats and Republicans to move beyond one-size-fits-all messaging.
The state’s “swing” status isn’t an accident. It’s a direct result of these dynamic, sometimes contradictory, regional trends. As flight from liberal states continues, even from other Republican states, and as the Republican Resettlers gain ground along Georgia&#8217;s coastal plains, the map will only get more complicated and more consequential.
With Kemp out of the 2026 Senate race, the race is on to determine who can unite enough of these regions to build a winning coalition. The GOP’s search for a candidate with true statewide appeal is wide open, while Democrats must defend ground in the face of a weak candidate, demographic churn, and voter fatigue. The lesson from Georgia is clear: turnout, connective messaging, and a Kemp-style understanding of local nuance are everything. Ignore the state’s patchwork at your peril.
<h3>The Battleground That Won’t Quit.</h3>
Georgia’s story is largely the South’s story.
It’s a state where no single region, candidate, or trend can guarantee victory. It’s a mix of hardened Republican strongholds, fast-growing Democratic suburbs, and emerging zones of transition, which means every election is up for grabs.
The Peach State’s political future will be decided not by national narratives or simple red-blue maps, but by the ability of campaigns to read the local landscape and adapt. In a nation increasingly defined by polarization and migration, Georgia stands as the ultimate test — and frankly, the ultimate prize for anyone hoping to shape the next era of American politics.
COMING UP NEXT: In Part VI, the final installment of our series, we’ll tie together the lessons from our analysis and offer a glimpse at what’s in store for the South and the nation as we head for the 2026 midterms. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-919429" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Full-Map-1.jpeg" alt="" width="670" height="407" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Full-Map-1.jpeg 670w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Full-Map-1-300x182.jpeg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px" /></div>
READING THE MAP: When reading our map, keep in mind that we intentionally moved beyond traditional state lines to capture the true complexity of Southern politics. Each of the ten regions was named to reflect its unique cultural, demographic, and historical identity, whether it’s the steadfast conservatism of Dixieland, the dynamic growth of the Republican Resettlers, or the inelasticity of the Sweet Tea Suburbs.
These names aren’t just for color; they’re a practical tool for understanding how voter behavior clusters in ways that state boundaries simply can’t explain. We used a rigorous, data-driven approach combining ZIP-code-level analysis, weighted demographic variables, and historical voting trends to identify and define each region. The result is a map that highlights not just where voters are, but how and why they vote the way they do, offering a more actionable and nuanced guide for anyone looking to understand or influence the South’s evolving political landscape.

Ossoff and Warnock

What The Peach State’s Political Patchworks Mean For 2026 

Southern States

On Monday, Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp announced that he will not run to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in the 2026 election.
Polls had shown Kemp, who is term-limited and cannot seek a third term as governor next year, <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/ajc-poll-kemp-vs-ossoff-in-2026-dead-heat/6JCBHXBH2RELNETG33UH72QDQU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neck-and-neck</a> if not <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/5092146-kemp-ossoff-2026-senate-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ahead</a> of Ossoff in a prospective match-up. But Kemp said in a post on X that he would pass on a campaign despite being pushed to enter the contest by fellow Republicans.
&#8220;Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the US Senate in 2026. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family,&#8221; Kemp shared. &#8220;After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.&#8221;
President Donald Trump has periodically <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leave-my-family-out-of-it-georgia-governor-brian-kemp-responds-to-trump-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> Kemp for matters related to the 2020 presidential election over the past several years. However, Kemp ended up <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/23/georgia-brian-kemp-donald-trump/74920067007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsing</a> Trump in the 2024 election. Trump even praised Kemp as <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/trump-praises-kemp-rga-meeting-jokes-about-governor-trudeau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;fantastic&#8221;</a> back in February. Whatever their relationship may be now, Kemp said he conversed with Trump before making his announcement.
&#8220;I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November, and ultimately be a conservative voice in the US Senate who will put hardworking Georgians first,&#8221; Kemp said. &#8220;I am confident we will be united in that important effort, and I look forward to electing the next generation of leaders up and down the ballot here in the Peach State who will keep our state and nation headed in the right direction in 2026 and beyond.&#8221;
Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority in the Senate. They also narrowly control the House.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), a group dedicated to electing GOP members to the upper chamber, shrugged off Kemp deciding not to run against Ossoff.
&#8220;While Jon Ossoff is running to impeach President Trump, Republicans have a number of strong candidates who can build a winning coalition to add this seat to President Trump’s Senate Majority,” <a href="https://x.com/maxpcohen/status/1919462365038297109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> NRSC spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez.
Other members of the GOP who are considering a run for Senate or are seen as potential contenders include Reps. <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-considering-2026-senate-or-gubernatorial-bid/1c19f66a-ef15-4cf5-9372-11137e79b079/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a> (R-GA), <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/the-georgia-vote/us-rep-buddy-carter-teases-senate-campaign/85-022a20a4-adeb-438c-8f27-b6a74c79021c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buddy Carter</a> (R-GA), <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/georgia-republicans-dont-rule-out-senate-bids-popular-gop-governor-remains-undecided" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rich McCormick</a> (R-GA), and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/georgia-republicans-dont-rule-out-senate-bids-popular-gop-governor-remains-undecided" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Collins</a> (R-GA), as well as Georgia Secretary of State <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/the-georgia-vote/georgia-secretary-brad-raffensperger-teases-2026-campaign/85-7e8f1370-147a-4136-9206-25ad37a5692d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brad Raffensperger</a>.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) also released a statement on Kemp neglecting to campaign for Ossoff&#8217;s Senate seat.
&#8220;Brian Kemp&#8217;s decision to not run for Senate in 2026 is yet another embarrassing Republican Senate recruitment failure as they face a building midterm backlash where every GOP candidate will be forced to answer for Trump’s harmful agenda,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/maevemcoyle/status/1919467569552994309" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> DSCC spokesperson Maeve Coyle. &#8220;Senate Republicans’ toxic agenda and recruitment failures put their majority at risk in 2026.&#8221;
Some in the political sphere have speculated that Kemp might compete for the presidency in 2028.
&#8220;I’ve never met a senator, who first was a governor, claim the senate was a good job. If anything, the former governors hate the place the most. If Kemp made one call to a former gov serving in the senate, I’m sure he was dissuaded. That said, might be worth adding Kemp to the WH ‘28 list,&#8221; journalist Chuck Todd <a href="https://x.com/chucktodd/status/1919461842486763886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.

Gov. Brian Kemp

Georgia Gov Brian Kemp Passes On Senate Bid Against Dem Incumbent Jon Ossoff

Republicans

A non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), has filed a complaint against Georgia Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff, accusing him of violating Senate ethics rules by directly linking official action to a request for campaign contributions.
FACT sent a<a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_c14ec0e53bc2448e9a98a4a0e4c00122.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> letter</a> to Ethics Committee Chairman Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice-Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) in which they stated:
<blockquote>
On March 14th, 2025, Senator Ossoff sent out an email that contained only two subjects: (1) that he planned to vote against a specific bill; and (2) a request for a campaign contribution. The email began with the statement, “I will vote ‘NO’ on the Trump/Musk/Johnson ‘CR.’” Following several statements about the bill, he then makes a direct request for a campaign contribution: “If you can afford it, please rush $5 to Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign today. If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue, we’ll process your contribution instantly.” 
</blockquote>
“Senate Ethics Rules specifically prohibit Senators from soliciting campaign contributions based upon any action taken in their official capacity,” the letter continued. &#8220;By linking a promise of official action with campaign contributions, a Senator violates a ‘basic principle&#8217; of Senate Ethics that guards against conflicts of interest.”
“Voting on legislation is one of the primary jobs of a Senator, which simply cannot be tied to campaign fundraising. The ethics rules forbid certain practices in campaign fundraising, and linking it to official action is one that is simply not allowed–and for good reason. This fundraising tactic dangerously incentivizes Senators to take official action based on their estimation of what will raise the most campaign funds. Senators, who are nearly always raising campaign funds, will be rightly seen as making important official decisions based on what will bring in the most money—not on the merits of an issue,” said Kendra Arnold, Executive Director of FACT.
Ossoff won his seat in the Senate in 2021 in a run-off election after GOP candidate David Perdue defeated him in the November 2020 general election but narrowly missed getting 50% of the vote. His victory in the run-off election, along with Raphael Warnock’s win in another run-off, gave Georgia two Democratic U.S. senators and gave the Democrats a majority in the Senate. Ossoff is up for re-election in 2026, and there’s a good chance he will be opposed by Georgia’s enormously popular GOP governor, Brian Kemp.

Democratic Congressional Candidate In Georgia’s Special Election Jon Ossoff Campaigns In Georgia

Non-Partisan Watchdog Group Files Complaint Against Ossoff, Says He Violated Senate Ethics Rules

Ethics

Three new Democratic senators were sworn into Congress on Wednesday afternoon, granting effective control to the Democratic Party over both chambers of Congress in addition to President Joe Biden’s new control over the executive branch.
The three senators — Alex Padilla (D-CA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) — were sworn in together by Vice President Kamala Harris around 5pm EST.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> Harris swears in Senators Ossoff (D-GA), Warnock (D-GA) and Padilla (D-CA). <a href="https://t.co/rfws3jUrQb">pic.twitter.com/rfws3jUrQb</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1352012574401982465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
Ossoff will be the only one of them to serve a full six-year term as the other two senators will be finishing out terms that expire in 2022. Warnock will be finishing out the term of former Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who retired in late 2019 for health reasons; Padilla was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to finish Harris’ term.
Following the swearing in of the three new Democratic senators, Harris recognized Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the former minority leader for the Democrats in the Senate, as the Senate majority leader for the first time in the 117th Congress.
As the new Senate majority leader, Schumer gave a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday saying that the country had “turned the page to a new chapter in the history of our Democracy” with the inauguration of Biden and Harris, and he was “full of hope.”
Schumer, however, said the “hope we feel today” has been “tempered” by the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recent attack at the Capitol building, and the atypical inauguration. “But, as President Biden said a few hours ago, today Democracy has prevailed, the will of the people was heeded, the peaceful transfer of power fulfilled. It takes a lot more than a band of hooligans to bring our grand Democracy down,” he said.
“Today, the threat to our Democracy from the presidency itself has ended, but the challenges we face as a nation remain,” said Schumer. “In the wake of violence and division, hatred and mistruth, in the shadow of disease and economic hardship, a warming planet, an unequal society, we begin the work of the 117th Congress.”
Schumer’s references appeared to be an implicit nod to Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/team-biden-vows-decisive-action-on-four-crises-in-first-ten-days">ten-day agenda</a>, which White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain recently suggested will focus on: “the COVID-19 crisis, the resulting economic crisis, the climate crisis, and a racial equity crisis.”
In a pre-Inauguration Day memo to senior staffers, Klain wrote: “In his first ten days in office, President-elect Biden will take decisive action to address these four crises, prevent other urgent and irreversible harms, and restore America’s place in the world.”
Biden has since tweeted that he’s gotten “right to work” on addressing these four topics.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After taking the oath of office this afternoon, I got right to work taking action to:
&#8211; Control the pandemic 
&#8211; Provide economic relief 
&#8211; Tackle climate change 
&#8211; Advance racial equity
— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1352029117974278145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>

Joe Biden Sworn In As 46th President Of The United States At U.S. Capitol Inauguration Ceremony

Three Newest Dem Senators Sworn In, Schumer Becomes Majority Leader

Charles Schumer

Raphael Warnock

After weeks of campaigning in the turbulent and chaotic aftermath of November 3rd, Georgia’s runoff elections are finally over. With only a handful of votes left to be counted, both Republican incumbents have been defeated. Jon Ossoff — a millionaire armchair socialist-lite — beat David Perdue by over 41,000 votes (0.92%), and Raphael Warnock — a radical who has espoused anti-Semitic and anti-American sentiments — beat Kelly Loeffler by over 79,000 votes (1.8%). 
While it is possible that recounts will be requested, both margins are larger than the threshold required to automatically trigger a recount under Georgia law.
Many close to President Trump expressed disbelief consistent with the denial demonstrated since November’s election, including White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who <a href="https://twitter.com/kayleighmcenany/status/1346845701284753410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1346845701284753410%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.dailywire.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D178746action%3Dedit">implied</a> that Warnock’s win was illegitimate. It is likely that some will continue to refuse to accept the reality that Trump, and some who aligned with Trump, lost the election. Setting that debate aside, however, to apply that logic to the Georgia runoff races is simply an act of mathematical denial.
A basic analysis of the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/05/us/elections/results-georgia-runoffs.html"> vote</a> explains precisely why Loeffler will soon be replaced by a radical socialist embroiled in multiple scandals. In the counties of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb — the counties which surround Atlanta — Warnock outperformed his November margins. In Fulton, he increased his margin by 2%. In Gwinnett, 4%. In Cobb, 2.4%. In DeKalb, 2.5%. In the top 35 most populous counties that Loeffler won, she underperformed her November margins, in some cases by multiple percentage points. 
When one candidate improves and another declines, it doesn’t take a mathematical genius to understand why the improved candidate has a better chance of emerging victorious in an already tight race.
The same is true of the closer race between Ossoff and Perdue. In Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb, Ossoff outperformed his November margins. Indeed, in every county that Ossoff won, he outperformed his November margins, and even flipped two counties (Baldwin and Washington). Perdue, on the other hand, consistently underperformed in multiple counties. Given that Perdue only received 1.8% more than Ossoff in the November election, it’s easy to see how Ossoff achieved his victory.
The brutal fact is that Republicans lost in Georgia solely because Republican voter turnout decreased since November. The driving factors behind this reduction in turnout in historically red counties are numerous, but likely include the campaign against the security and safety of the elections in Georgia. It’s difficult, after all, to convince people to vote while also claiming that their vote is meaningless. While that campaign ultimately drove down voter turnout, the Democrats focused on the opposite.
If Republicans and conservatives hope to avoid making the same mistakes of this election, then it’s crucial that we learn from these mistakes. At its heart, this means understanding that turnout cannot be taken for granted and that any electoral strategy which involves suppressing our own vote will have dire consequences.
Ultimately, the Democrats will now control the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate entirely because of Republicans&#8217; self-inflicted wounds. 
Ian Haworth is host of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPxdVsNp7k&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuTQRVv1IOVMnA735vEYO0f5">The Ian Haworth Show</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E05t2L69Sks&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuRHu5r0IV5qr4h2rBAV9oBd">The Truth in 60 Seconds</a>. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">@ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Voter Turnout Is The Reason Ossoff And Warnock Won

David Perdue

Election 2020

Kelly Loeffler

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