Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is warning donors that his campaign is falling behind despite leading Senate fundraising efforts, while his Republican challenger, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), faces mounting controversies. Ossoff has raised $68.7 million since 2025, slightly more than Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who brought in $65.9 million after launching his campaign in September 2025. However, Ossoff's campaign has simultaneously told prospective donors that it needs more money to keep ads on the air, citing an urgent need to counter Republican spending. Collins, meanwhile, is grappling with multiple controversies, including a House ethics investigation involving his former chief of staff, repeated staffing upheavals, and recent allegations involving his son-in-law's social media posts supporting extremist groups. These issues have raised concerns among some Republicans that Collins is overshadowing his campaign against Ossoff.
Ossoff's Fundraising Concerns
Ossoff's campaign has sent multiple emails to supporters in July, urging donations to keep ads running. One email read, "$5 to keep us on the air," emphasizing the need to defeat "Trump puppet, Mike Collins." A campaign spokeswoman told Fox News Digital that Ossoff faces an extraordinary level of Republican spending because he is the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state President Donald Trump won in 2024. The campaign reported having $42.6 million in cash on hand as of the most recent disclosures.
Collins' Controversies
Collins has cycled through three chiefs of staff in roughly the past year, with two departures tied to separate controversies. His first chief of staff, Brandon Phillips, was investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of improper use of taxpayer funds and arranging a paid internship for his girlfriend. Phillips later departed after the campaign's social media account published a vulgar post targeting the wife of a strategist for Republican rival Derek Dooley. His successor, Kip Talley, also drew scrutiny after reports that he intended to use "the levers of the legislative branch" to help secure the release of a Holocaust denier from prison. Most recently, CNN reported that Collins' son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, shared posts supporting the white nationalist group Patriot Front, circulated Nazi imagery, and posted antisemitic messages targeting Jews. These controversies have fueled concern among some Republicans that Collins has spent more time answering questions about his campaign than defining himself against Ossoff.