In a significant development, Democrat Jon Ossoff has been declared the winner of Georgia’s U.S. Senate election shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. He triumphed over Republican Mike Collins to secure his second term.
As the initial results came in, around 1.7 percent of the anticipated votes had been counted by 7:19 p.m. ET. Ossoff led with 66,956 votes, accounting for 89 percent, against Collins’s 8,288 votes, or 11 percent, according to NBC News data. Officials indicated that many votes were still being processed, with around 4.4 million yet to be tallied statewide.
This early lead aligns with pre-election forecasts. Late public polling had suggested that Ossoff was ahead by approximately 8 to 15 points. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution/University of Georgia survey from October 7–15 revealed Ossoff at 48 percent and Collins at 40 percent among likely voters, with 12 percent still undecided.
BREAKING: Jon Ossoff is projected to win the GA US Senate General Election.
: @DecisionDeskHQ pic.twitter.com/I38Eda9i6R
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 4, 2026
Ossoff initially won his seat during the January 2021 runoff against David Perdue, capturing 50.6 percent of the vote. He is the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state that was carried by President Trump in 2024.
Collins, a two-term House member representing Georgia’s 10th Congressional District and a trucking executive, gained the Republican nomination after a runoff against Derek Dooley, who was favored by Governor Kemp.
Georgia law stipulates that a candidate must achieve a majority of the votes. If no one achieves this, the top two candidates will proceed to a runoff on December 1. The Decision Desk HQ’s projection indicated that Ossoff was poised to meet that threshold without needing a runoff.
With a considerable fundraising advantage, Ossoff raised over $100 million, while Collins reported approximately $9–11 million. While turnout and complete county results were still pending, results from mail and early in-person ballots typically come in first in Georgia.
This projection represents a Democratic retention of a seat in a state known for its competitive races in recent years. Final official results will clarify the winning margin and confirm whether Ossoff’s total exceeds 50 percent.
