Carter jumped in the race in May, and has $4.1 million in his account, according to the latest FEC filing, despite lacking Collins’ high-profile endorsement roster. He has already spent more than $2 million on ads to bolster his name ID, and is heavily courting people in Trump world to create distance between himself and his rivals.

The long-standing tension between President Donald Trump and Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp is well-documented. And at least one Republican strategist in the Peach State fears it's just a matter of time until their uneasy truce turns into a bitter intra-party battle.

Derek Dooley, a former football coach, cast himself as an outsider candidate as the Republican primary field for a marquee midterm contest takes shape.