By
June 16, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT
/ CBS News
Add CBS News on Google
Washington — Voters are casting their ballots in three states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday, including a high-profile runoff race to take on Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and GOP runoffs in the Georgia governor's race and the Alabama Senate race.Here are the major races to watch on Tuesday: Georgia runoff in GOP Senate primaryTwo Republicans are facing off in Tuesday's Senate runoff in Georgia as they vie for the chance to take on Ossoff in November.After no candidate secured 50% of the vote in last month's primary, voters are returning to the polls to decide whether Rep. Mike Collins or former college football coach Derek Dooley will be the Republican nominee for Senate. Collins, a second-term congressman and the owner of a trucking business, finished first in the initial round of the primaries last month with almost 41% of the vote. Dooley, an attorney who coached football at the University of Tennessee and is the son of legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, won around 30% of the vote last month. And a third candidate, Rep. Buddy Carter, was eliminated from the race, coming in behind Collins and Dooley. The two remaining candidates represent differing visions of the GOP — and what it will take to defeat Ossoff. While Dooley is backed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Collins secured President Trump's endorsement over the weekend. Collins has positioned himself as a staunch ally of the president, while Dooley has kept more of a distance, billing himself as a political outsider though he's pledged to work with Mr. Trump to deliver for Georgians. The runoff sets up a key contest, as Republicans aim to flip the seat in their effort to maintain control of the Senate. Ossoff, who was elected to the Senate in 2021 by a 1.2-point margin, is the sole Democrat facing reelection in a state that Mr. Trump won in 2024. And while the dynamic has made him a top target of the GOP, the prolonged Republican primary process has been a boon for the Democrat, who's amassed a significant warchest as he looks to combat the inevitable Republican attacks.
