Marjorie Taylor Greene declines to challenge Jon Ossoff in Georgia Senate race

ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Friday she won't situation Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia successful adjacent year's midterms, delivering alleviation for immoderate Republicans who interest she’s excessively divisive to win.

In a lengthy station connected the societal media level X, Greene disputed GOP donors and consultants who fearfulness she would crook disconnected the mean Republicans and independents needed to bushed Ossoff. But Greene said she doesn't privation to service successful a Senate that “doesn't work" and that she said is dominated by lawmakers hostile to grassroots Trump supporters and unwilling to shingle up the presumption quo.

“If I’m going to combat for a team, it volition lone beryllium a squad consenting to laic it each connected the enactment to prevention this country,” she wrote.

Ossoff, a first-term senator, won the spot by a slim borderline successful a authorities that has historically been a Republican stronghold but has much precocious go a battleground. He is simply a apical people for Republicans looking to grow their constrictive Senate majority.

Popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who could beryllium a formidable hostile for Ossoff, opted retired of the 2026 contention connected Monday. His determination leaves a wide-open contention for the GOP nomination.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents a territory connected the Georgia coast, became the archetypal large Republican campaigner to state Thursday.

Six different GOP officeholders too Greene person acknowledged involvement successful moving to The Associated Press. They see 2 different Republicans successful the U.S. House, Mike Collins and Rich McCormick. Also considering the contention are Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, authorities Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, authorities Insurance Commissioner John King and authorities Sen. Greg Dolezal.

“I expect a competitory superior — Senate seats don’t travel on that often,” said Eric Tanenblatt, a apical nationalist GOP fundraiser and Kemp state who has backed Trump’s rivals successful statesmanlike primaries.

Greene is nationally known and a prolific fundraiser, but she has embraced conspiracy theories and feuded with members of her ain party. On Thursday, she noted to reporters that she has much than 11 cardinal societal media followers, saying that’s due to the fact that radical cognize wherever she stands.

Greene's entreaty would beryllium wide successful a GOP superior with galore voters fiercely loyal to the president. Her determination not to tally came a time aft she told reporters she was considering it.

“I’m going to springiness it immoderate thought, speech to my family. I’m honored to person truthful overmuch enactment from the large radical of Georgia. And I person options," she said Thursday.

Greene was archetypal elected to the House successful 2020. She initially planned to tally successful a competitory territory successful bluish Atlanta’s suburbs, but relocated into the overmuch much blimpish 14th District successful Georgia’s northwest corner.

Greene continued to clasp conspiracies adjacent aft 11 House Republicans joined Democrats to region her committee assignments successful February 2021. She embraced radical jailed connected charges pursuing the Jan. 6, 2021, riot astatine the U.S. Capitol arsenic governmental prisoners, portion of her run to reframe the communicative of the onslaught and formed Democrats, not Republicans, arsenic a enactment of violence.

She was welcomed backmost into the mainstream of the Republican league by Kevin McCarthy, who forged an confederation with her. But Greene kept feuding with Republicans and Democrats alike. The House Freedom Caucus expelled Greene successful 2023.

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Cooper repoted from Phoenix.