Former Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley is running as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, directly challenging incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff. He advanced to the June 16, 2026 GOP primary runoff against Representative Mike Collins.
Running as a political outsider, Dooley previously drew attention for not voting for nearly two decades before resuming in 2022. Now he’s drawing attention for another error in judgement.
New reporting from 11 Alive News released today has uncovered allegations of corruption and pay-to-play politics tied to Derek Dooley’s U.S. Senate campaign, raising questions about his ties to political insiders as he positions himself as an outsider in the Republican runoff.
Here’s what happened: Derek Dooley surged to a second-place finish in the primary after Governor Brian Kemp campaigned with him across the state, introducing him to Republican voters.
During Kemp’s tenure, Georgia has awarded grants to school districts to support safety system upgrades. State records show that Centegix, a company led by Daniel Dooley – the candidate’s brother – secured more than $27 million in contracts with Georgia school systems between 2019 and last year.
Federal filings also show that Daniel Dooley contributed $100,000 to Kemp’s political action committee.
In response, Georgia Democratic Party Chair Charlie Bailey issued a statement criticizing the findings.
“New details suggesting that Derek Dooley has benefited from state corruption and pay-to-play politics are deeply concerning,” Bailey said.
“This is what we know: state records indicate that the Dooley family received tens of millions of dollars in state awards from officials under Governor Brian Kemp’s administration, while also contributing tens of thousands of dollars to Kemp. Now, those profits are helping to fund Dooley’s U.S. Senate campaign.
“As Republicans continue to grapple with controversy in the runoff, it’s clear they are left with two GOP Senate candidates facing serious ethical questions. Georgians deserve better.”
Dooley is backed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a longtime friend who encouraged his bid.
Dooley’s platform centers on advancing the Trump agenda, improving workforce and vocational skills training, and reducing government regulation to lower housing costs.
