Another conservative voice is chiming in on the crucial U.S. Senate race in Georgia.
Jeff Flake, the former GOP Senator from Arizona and Ambassador to Turkey under the Biden Administration, has endorsed incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff
for the Senate seat in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, adding to a growing number of conservatives who say this election is about more than just policy.Flake has a complicated history with the Republican establishment, breaking with the party more than once on votes from immigration reform to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," legislation. Now, his endorsement of the sitting Senator again breaks from leading Republicans who are supporting the Trump-endorsed Rep. Mike Collins for the seat.
Collins,
however, has to make up ground as early polling shows Ossoff with a strong lead going into November, and the representative has clashed with reporters over accusations he supports white supremacists, one of whom is his own son-in-law. He is also still under a House ethics investigation over possible misuse of taxpayer funds to pay a staff who did no work for his office.
The Senate race has garnered national attention as President Trump repeatedly attacks Ossoff, calling the Senator nicknames like "Pinky Herman" (meaning Pee Wee Herman) and one of the "Dumb-ocrats" in a recent speech in Marietta, Georgia.
Flake says 'character matters' in Senate race
"I'm still a conservative Republican. But character matters. And I want someone in that seat who takes the institution seriously and will protect the institution," Flake told the AJC, saying he still disagrees with Ossoff on many of his stances on policy.
"Character is more important. I've been around long enough to know that you'll disagree on issues with people across the aisle, or sometimes in your party. But the more important thing is character," Flake said. "I compare that to somebody who will likely go back and just be a rubber stamp for whatever the president wants."
Ossoff also represents a good move for the Democratic Party, Flake said, moving the ideology needle to the center and appealing to a large number of swing voters. Flake was hesitant that Collins comes across as an extreme candidate, and his refusal to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election is not where most voters are today.
Despite a long history of conservative support, Flake did not move with his party to support Trump as strongly in his first term, ultimately choosing not to run for reelection to the Senate and later accepting a position within the Biden Administration. In the years since he has called Trump "out of touch" and has predicted a large migration away from the GOP in the 2026 midterms.
Ossoff says Collins is 'Trump puppet' after endorsement
In a statement to USA TODAY following the Flake endorsement, Ossoff thanked Flake for his history of public service, even if it was largely on the other side of the aisle.
"I'm deeply grateful for Sen. Flake's support, statesmanship, and public service. He's right: character matters, and our coalition to defeat the scandal-plagued Trump puppet and bigot Mike Collins includes many Republicans and independents," Ossoff said.
Polling suggests Ossoff is right.
In data from AARP, Ossoff is leading 52% to Collins' 43% across all likely voters. A Fox News poll from the end of June saw Ossoff even higher, with 56% support for the seat.
The Center for Politics "Crystal Ball" has gone as far as to say Georgia, which previously leaned Democrat, is now a "likely Democratic" win in the midterms.
The "swing" will likely come from older voters, those above 50, according to AARP data, many of whom have voted conservative in the past, but didn't support Collins in the Republican primary.
Flake joins conservative Atlanta radio host in Ossoff support
In June, conservative talk radio show host Shelley Winters, on 95.5 WSB in Atlanta, endorsed Ossoff for the Senate seat during an interview with the Senator.
"I'm here to tell you live on the radio that I am Team Ossoff for the rest of the summer and I will do everything I can possible on this show to get you re-elected," Wynter said following his conversation with Ossoff. "I see re-elections as a job interview, and in my humble opinion, I've seen nothing from Senator Jon Ossoff that requires me to say you're fired from the job."
At the end of May, Wynter spoke out against Collins, saying he had "lost the moral center" and was "a bottom feeder in society."
He said Collins' campaign tactics were something he couldn't support, and if Derek Dooley (Collins' opponent in the Republican primary) lost the runoff race in June, Wynter would change his backing from the Republican candidate to the Democrats.
"If (Derek Dooley) is not the candidate, I'm voting for Jon Ossoff ... That kind of behavior, that kind of campaign ... will never, ever get my vote," Wynter said on the air.
Wynter has also endorsed Republican Rick Jackson for the Georgia governor's seat, more closely following his history of support for conservative candidates.
Irene Wright covers Georgia politics as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Another conservative endorses Jon Ossoff in crucial GA Senate race
