President Donald Trump brought his midterm campaign blitz to northwest Georgia on Friday, headlining a rally at Dalton Municipal Airport as early voting got under way in the state’s hotly contested November races.
The event, with doors opening at 11:30am and remarks scheduled for around 3pm local time, drew thousands of supporters. Trump appeared alongside Republican Senate nominee Mike Collins and gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson, the party’s standard-bearers in Georgia’s two top races. Also on the programme were US Rep. Clay Fuller, who faces Democrat Shawn Harris in the 14th congressional district, and a slate of statewide candidates including nominees for lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
Battleground stakes
Georgia is among the most closely watched battlegrounds of the 2026 midterms. Collins is challenging incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, while Jackson, a businessman who has promised to be “Trump’s favourite governor,” faces Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor. A White House spokesperson called Trump “the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party.”
Friday marked Trump’s third stop in Georgia this year, following visits to Rome in February and Cobb County in July, and his first return to Dalton since January 2021, when he campaigned for the party’s Senate runoff candidates. Unlike recent Trump stops in solidly Republican states, Georgia’s races will need more than the party’s base to be won — a question that will hang over the governor contests and the Senate fight alike.
Early voting is open
Early voting in Georgia began on Tuesday and runs through October 30, ahead of Election Day on November 3. Among those travelling with the president were former University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who flew aboard Air Force One, US Rep. Brian Jack, and Small Business Administration chief Kelly Loeffler. Analysts say the candidates’ debate performances and the closing weeks of campaigning will now decide whether the rally’s energy translates into votes.
For a preview of the event, see the rally preview from Georgia public radio.
