Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King suspended his Senate campaign on Thursday as the state’s Republican governor looks to another candidate to fulfill the GOP’s hopes of ousting Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA). 

The race to secure the GOP’s primary nomination ahead of the 2026 Senate election is shaping up to become a volatile free-for-all that could end up pitting a candidate preferred by Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) against a contender backed by President Donald Trump. 

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King dropped his bid after Kemp told the commissioner he plans to back former football coach Derek Dooley, a longtime friend, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

“Right now it’s clear there’s little path forward to the nomination,” said King, who struggled to gain traction in fundraising after launching his campaign in May.

While Kemp was once viewed as the leading candidate to topple Ossoff, he bowed out of the race in early May, opening up the GOP field to other competitors.

However, as other candidates, such as King and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), have entered the race, the governor appears to be running a pressure campaign designed to pick the GOP’s senate candidate, making phone calls to both announced and rumored contenders, warning them he’s putting his weight behind Dooley, according to the outlet.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has also been rumored to be weighing a bid, and Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) has publicly mused about launching a campaign, revealing earlier this month that he is in talks with Trump on the matter.  

Collins would likely clinch the president’s endorsement if he chooses to enter the race, which could set him up for a primary showdown with Dooley. 

The former football coach has been viewed by some veteran Republican operatives in the Peach State as a joke candidate unable to win over the party’s base due to his past unwillingness to embrace Trump. 

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While Dooley has yet to launch a Senate campaign, he has fended off criticism as “fear and desperation coming from career politicians about an outsider who hasn’t even announced.” 

“[That] should tell Georgia voters all they need to know,” a Dooley spokesperson said earlier this month.