Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is weighing a blockbuster U.S. Senate campaign against Democrat Raphael Warnock in 2028, according to a new report.
Kemp, a popular two-term Republican preparing to leave the governor’s mansion, is considering challenging Warnock as he plots his next political move, a person familiar with his thinking told The Washington Post.
The potential matchup would immediately become one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
Kemp is also considering a presidential campaign, according to the report, leaving the Republican heavyweight with a major decision as the GOP searches for its next generation of national leaders.
The governor has not publicly announced plans to seek either office.
A Senate campaign would give Kemp another opportunity to help Republicans reclaim a Georgia seat after he passed on a heavily anticipated challenge to Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026.
National Republican leaders spent months trying to recruit Kemp for that race, viewing him as their strongest possible candidate in the battleground state. Kemp ultimately declined, saying a campaign was not the right decision for him and his family.
Republicans later nominated Rep. Mike Collins, who lost to Ossoff by roughly 18 percentage points in the November midterms.
Kemp could now turn his attention to Warnock, whose current term expires in 2029.
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Warnock has not committed to seeking Senate reelection. The Democrat recently teased that he would run for “high office” in 2028 while declining to say whether he meant the Senate or the presidency.
🚨 JUST IN: Georgia Gov. BRIAN KEMP (R) is reportedly weighing a run for the U.S. SENATE in 2028, per the Washington Post — and he’d be challenging Sen. Raphael Warnock (D)
Kemp passed on challenging Jon Ossoff this cycle, saying being on the ballot “is not the right decision for me and my family”
Now he’s term-limited and leaves office in January.
Georgia is one seat Republicans MUST win to have any shot at re-taking the Senate in 2028
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 10, 2026
Kemp would enter a Senate race with a formidable political operation and a record of winning statewide contests.
He narrowly defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in 2018 before beating her by more than seven percentage points in their 2022 rematch.
Kemp also demolished a Trump-backed primary challenge from former Sen. David Perdue in 2022, defeating him by nearly 52 percentage points.
Despite their previous clashes over the 2020 election, Kemp and President Donald Trump repaired their relationship during the 2024 campaign. Kemp endorsed Trump and worked to rally Georgia Republicans behind him.
Kemp has remained one of the most popular political figures in the state.
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll conducted in October found that 70% of likely Georgia voters approved of his performance as governor, including 94% of Republicans. Nearly half of Democrats and 66% of independents also gave Kemp positive marks.
The same survey found that 77% of likely Republican voters would support Kemp running for president in 2028.
A White House campaign would place Kemp in a potentially crowded Republican field. Vice President JD Vance is widely viewed as the early front-runner, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are also considering bids, according to The Post.
Kemp could instead pursue a more direct path to the Senate by taking on Warnock in a state known for producing closely contested statewide elections.
Warnock won a special election runoff in 2021 and secured a full six-year term by defeating Republican Herschel Walker in another runoff the following year.
Kemp’s entry would give Republicans a proven statewide winner as they attempt to rebuild following their bruising 2026 midterm losses.
