GAINESVILLE — When former football coach Derek Dooley sat down with Donald Trump to discuss his U.S. Senate bid in Georgia, he told the president he wasn’t seeking his endorsement just yet.
“All I asked for him was an opportunity to earn his support, and so that’s what I’m setting out to do,” the Republican told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The onetime coach entered the race in August with Gov. Brian Kemp’s full-throated support — and plenty of questions about how a political newcomer who has hardly staked out any political positions over the last three decades could be the party’s standard-bearer.
In a wide-ranging interview, Dooley made clear there’s no daylight between his stances and Trump’s priorities. He also said he’s better positioned to defeat Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff than his GOP rivals, U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins.
He laid out a range of policy views, from advocating two-term limits to backing U.S. arms sales to Israel. He sidestepped others. He defended his record of not voting in the 2016 or 2020 presidential elections. And he revealed he wasn’t as close to Kemp as some might think.
Key takeaways from the AJC interview, edited and condensed:
On his decision to run:
“My life really had a profound change during COVID and what happened with the Biden administration after that … I just saw an opportunity there to go in and make an impact. And I think I was the right candidate for the job. And since that time, I haven’t looked back.”
On winning Kemp’s support:
“I spent a long time proving to him that I had what it took. It wasn’t something where he says, ‘Yeah, you can do it. Let’s go.’ … I don’t see it as a risk. We need new leadership in the Senate that’s going to reflect what the people of Georgia want, and we should learn from President Trump as an outsider.”
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
On skipping presidential elections, including the 2016 and 2020 votes:
“Well, I did vote for President Trump in 2024 and I did vote for Gov. Kemp. There was a time in my career where I was overly focused on my job and my family. COVID and the Biden administration changed me … That’s why I proudly got involved and started voting, and that’s why I’m here today.”
On not voting in 2020, even after COVID
“I voted in 2024 for Donald Trump. What happened with the Biden administration after COVID — that’s what changed me. I saw the disasters that were happening around our country that I never thought I’d see again. And I was so frustrated with the leadership and it motivated me to get in the game. And that’s what I did.”
On why voters should back him despite not voting in past elections:
“Well, I did vote. And that’s why they should vote for me. I voted for Donald Trump. I voted for Gov. Kemp, and I’m going to ask everybody to come vote for me.”
On whether his coaching record is a liability:
“It’s certainly fair to question everybody’s background, and I did have a great career in coaching. I was a part of some of the great teams where we won national championships. … But I was a part of some teams that got their teeth kicked in and had some tough years. What you don’t see is what you learn from the tough times. You really learn traits that you can never learn by winning all the time.”
On his support for Trump’s tax and spending law:
“Let’s talk about what would happen if we didn’t pass the ‘big, beautiful’ bill. First of all, Georgians would see probably the largest tax increase they’ve ever seen in their lifetime … Everybody wants a closed border. Everybody wants a safe community. The big, beautiful bill ensures that.”
On if Trump backs a rival:
“Of course, I’m going to stay in this race. My goal is to get the people of Georgia to believe in what I believe, that I’m here to serve them first but also certainly want President Trump’s support. And I’m going to keep fighting to get both.”
On his relationship with Kemp:
“Everybody really tries to paint that we’re best friends. But there was probably a 30, 40-year stretch where I never spoke with Gov. Kemp … Until he decided not to run for Senate, and I saw a window there. And so we began a relationship.”
On federal abortion limits:
“I stand with President Trump, and I stand with the Supreme Court that it’s an issue that needs to get decided by the states. The states are much closer to their people. They’re better equipped to make change if change is called for. And so as a federal senator, we need to stay out of it.
On his support for two-term limits in the Senate:
“There’s too many people who are up there too long. They get too little results, they make too much money, and they’re more focused on their political careers than they are serving the people of Georgia. … We either have to change incentives or change the laws.”
Credit: AJC, courtesy photo
Credit: AJC, courtesy photo
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