Dooley, Kemp rally Forsyth supporters at Cumming campaign stop

Gov. Brian Kemp’s appearance at Tam’s Backstage in Cumming gave Derek Dooley something every Republican Senate hopeful wants: a visible stamp of legitimacy from Georgia’s most influential GOP figure. For Forsyth County, the stop was more than a campaign photo op. It was a reminder that the county’s voice in Atlanta still matters, and that the winner of this race will help shape how much leverage Forsyth keeps under the Gold Dome on growth, taxes, roads and water policy.

Kemp joined Dooley on Monday, April 20, 2026, at the Forsyth County restaurant as the two moved through the final stretch before the May 19 Republican primary. Early voting begins April 27, putting the race on a fast track toward a nominee who will challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. Dooley is running in a three-way contest against U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, and Kemp’s presence signaled that the governor is still trying to steer the party toward one candidate before ballots are cast.

The Cumming stop was part of Dooley’s larger Georgia First Tour, which carried him through Barrow, Gwinnett, Forsyth and Cherokee counties, with a meet-and-greet in Roswell that also included first lady Marty Kemp. The tour put Dooley in front of metro Atlanta and North Georgia Republicans at a moment when the primary is still taking shape and rivals are sharpening their attacks. Dooley also began airing his first television ad as the race moved closer to early voting.

Kemp has been on Dooley’s side since August 30, 2025, when he formally endorsed him at the University of Georgia football opener. Kemp has argued that Dooley, as an outsider, is the Republican most likely to keep attention on Ossoff’s record instead of on baggage from the GOP side. That pitch has become central to the governor’s effort to shape the primary and consolidate the party around Dooley.

Dooley has leaned into his own background as the son of former Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, but he has also made clear he wants a broader coalition. In Canton the same day as the Cumming stop, he said a statewide winner must appeal beyond the Trump base and connect with voters who do not always vote Republican. Kemp and Dooley both grew up in Athens, another bond that has helped frame their alliance as personal as well as political. For Forsyth County Republicans, the appearance was a clear sign that the race for U.S. Senate is already about more than one seat. It is about who gets to speak for north Georgia when the next round of state power is divided up in Atlanta.