By Nolan D. McCaskill
WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia on Tuesday, according to media projections, defeating President Donald Trump-backed Republican US Representative Mike Collins and preserving a crucial seat in his party’s battle for Senate control.
Ossoff triumphed in one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races in a state Trump carried by 2 percentage points in 2024, underscoring Democrats’ ability to defend a key battleground.
Ossoff, widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, raised $126 million more than Collins, who was backed by $18 million in outside spending after fighting through a three-way Republican primary and runoff.
Trump endorsed Collins over former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was backed by outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority going into Tuesday’s elections, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to take control.
Democrats' easiest path to a Senate majority requires the party to hold seats in Trump-won Georgia and Michigan and flip Republican-held seats in Maine and North Carolina, as well as at least two other states that Trump won by double digits in 2024, such as Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, Texas and others.
(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill; Editing by Michael Learmonth and Howard Goller)