It’s a difficult climb for him. He hasn’t held a public campaign event since he first submitted a bid to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in June, and he has no political past or public positions on contentious subjects.
However, Dooley comes into the campaign with a well-known background—he is the son of the late Vince Dooley, a football great from the University of Georgia—and is anticipated to get Kemp’s full support, as Kemp is directing his political machine and donors toward his old friend.
In keeping with Trump’s campaign slogan, his opening ad, Georgia First, makes it clear that Dooley has no intention of giving up the MAGA lane to his Republican opponents, U.S. Representatives Mike Collins and Buddy Carter. He contrasts his past with others who spent time moving up the D.C. political ladder, but he doesn’t name them.
Dooley’s long-awaited arrival followed Kemp’s intervention in the election last month, when he quietly informed Collins, Carter, and Insurance Commissioner John King that he would support Dooley.
Collins and Carter stepped up their efforts, transforming the wait-and-see campaign into an unexpected three-way primary. King left the race within hours.
Furthermore, winning the primary would simply be the beginning of one of the most anticipated Senate contests in the country. Ossoff is hosting rallies throughout the state and has already amassed over $15.4 million. He is portraying his Republican opponents as careless Trump supporters.
Sarah Peacock is credited.
Sarah Peacock is credited.
Two of Kemp’s senior strategists, Chelsey Ruppersburg, a crucial Kemp fundraiser, and Cody Hall, the governor’s longstanding political adviser, are at the center of Dooley’s campaign operation. Dooley has presented his case in private meetings with Trump advisors, state representatives, and significant GOP donors.
However, his campaign brings the GOP’s long-standing grievances into starker focus. With their vehement rhetoric and promises of unwavering allegiance to the president, Collins and Carter are attempting to win over Trump’s MAGA camp. Dooley is positioning himself as a Trump supporter as well, but he might also take a cue from Kemp and present a more expansive form of conservatism based on his popularity as an outsider in politics.
It’s a risky blank slate. Outsider campaigns have benefited from political adaptability and well-known names in the past, such as David Perdue’s 2014 Senate victory. However, Dooley needs to convince Trump acolytes, Kemp supporters, and swing voters that he is their best chance to take back the seat in a state that the president lost four years prior in 2024.
Throughout the Trump administration, Georgia Republicans have struggled with this delicate balancing act.In 2020 and 2022, Democrats won both of the state’s Senate seats thanks to internal GOP conflicts. Kemp had thought that a protracted intraparty battle would be avoided after months of behind-the-scenes wrangling to get him and Trump together behind a consensus choice.
Photo courtesy of AJC.
Photo courtesy of AJC.
Dooley’s arrival hasn’t, however, cleared the field or stopped party turmoil.Carter has committed to investing over $10 million in his bid. Important Kemp allies are among the endorsements Collins has already announced.
Why Kemp didn’t support a more seasoned candidate is a question raised by some activists. Others question if a newcomer to politics can survive a brutal primary influenced by staunch Trump supporters.
For months, Dooley has made an effort to allay such worries by subtly introducing himself to elected officials, funders, and activists.
He is now reaching a wider audience in an effort to inspire voters with a message about becoming involved in politics and leaving the sidelines.
Before following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a coach, Dooley was an attorney who worked for a prestigious Atlanta law firm. After working his way up the ranks, he was hired as head coach at the University of Tennessee in 2010 after three seasons with a 15–21 record.
Dooley also served as an NFL coach. He most recently served as an offensive analyst for the Crimson Tide in 2024 while working under Nick Saban.
He claimed that his displeasure with Democrats had forced him to make the decision, accusing Ossoff of supporting former President Joe Biden’s progressive views.
Even though Dooley has mostly stayed out of politics until this year—he did not cast a ballot in a number of recent elections—his family has long been discussed in relation to politics. His father, Vince Dooley, was an early Trump supporter in 2016 and had dabbled in running for governor and the Senate in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2002, his mother, Barbara Dooley, highlighted her family’s football heritage in her unsuccessful GOP bid for Congress.
Derek Dooley stated that his coaching experience, which he claimed was a perfect fit for politics, will also play a role in his quest.
You have a good chance of realizing your goals if you put in the necessary effort, follow the rules, and persevere through hardship, Dooley stated. I wanted all of my guys to have that as a coach. That’s what I want for all Georgians as your next U.S. senator. as well as every American.
