Mr. Collins and Mr. Dooley are set to face each other on June 16 as they compete for the chance to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff, a popular Democrat.
Representative Mike Collins, an immigration hard-liner, and Derek Dooley, a former college football coach and political newcomer, advanced Tuesday to a runoff in the Republican Senate primary in Georgia, according to The Associated Press.
The result moves the race to a June 16 showdown between two candidates with contrasting styles, backgrounds and pitches, if few clear policy differences. A third leading candidate, Representative Buddy Carter, a former pharmacy owner who brands himself as a “MAGA warrior,” was eliminated Tuesday, finishing third.
No candidate captured the majority of the votes required to clinch the nomination on Tuesday. With about 90 percent of the vote tallied early Wednesday morning, Mr. Collins was the leader, with Mr. Dooley running about 10 percentage points behind him.
The Republicans have battled for the chance to take on Senator Jon Ossoff, a first-term Democrat who is seen by his party as a rising star and by Republicans as a formidable adversary. Mr. Ossoff did not face a primary challenger on Tuesday.
Mr. Dooley’s showing extends the candidacy of a political newcomer backed aggressively by Gov. Brian Kemp, the state’s departing two-term governor and a lifelong friend of Mr. Dooley. Mr. Kemp campaigned with Mr. Dooley for weeks leading up to the primary on Tuesday, and the governor’s political organization directed millions of dollars to support the candidate.
As the race has played out, some in the party have grown anxious that they are poorly positioned for what is expected to be one of the most competitive Senate general elections in November.