DALTON, Ga. (AP) 鈥� Steve Bannon took the stage Friday night at the Georgia Republican Convention to say it鈥檚 too early to be talking about 2026.
鈥淒on鈥檛 even think about the midterms,鈥� told activists. 鈥淣ot right now. 鈥�26, we鈥檒l think about it later. It鈥檚 backing President Trump right now.鈥�
But it didn鈥檛 work.
There was plenty of praise for . And while the party took care of other business like electing officers and adopting a platform, the 2026 races for governor and Senate were already on the minds of many on Friday and Saturday in the northwest Georgia city of Dalton.
鈥淓verybody campaigns as quick as they can,鈥� told The Associated Press Saturday.
Lots of other people showed up sounding like candidates. Greene, after against Democratic incumbent , laid out a slate of state-level issues on Saturday that will likely fuel speculation that she might run for governor to replace term-limited Republican
Echoing Trump鈥檚 signature slogan, Greene told the convention to 鈥淢ake Georgia great again, for Georgia.鈥�
She called for abolishing the state income tax, infusing 鈥渃lassical鈥� principles into Georgia鈥檚 public schools, reopening mental hospitals to take mentally ill people off the streets, and changing Georgia鈥檚 economic incentive policy to de-emphasize tax breaks for foreign companies and television and moviemakers.
鈥淣ow these are state-level issues, but I want you to be talking about them,鈥� Greene said.
In her AP interview before the speech, Greene said running for governor is an 鈥渙ption,鈥� but also said she has a 鈥渨onderful blessing鈥� of serving her northwest Georgia district and exercising influence in Washington.
鈥淧retty much every single primary poll shows that I am the top leader easily, and that gives me the ability to think about it. But it鈥檚 a choice. It鈥檚 my own, that I will talk about with my family.鈥�
More likely to run for governor is Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is expected to announce a bid later this summer.
鈥淚 promise you, I鈥檓 going to be involved in this upcoming election cycle,鈥� Jones told delegates Friday.
Like Greene, Jones is among the Georgia Republicans closest to Trump, and emphasized that 鈥渢he circle is small鈥� of prominent Republicans who stood by the president after the 2020 election. Jones also took a veiled shot at state , who declared his bid for governor in December and showed up Friday to work the crowd, but did not deliver a speech to the convention.
鈥淎lways remember who showed up for you,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淎nd always remember who delivers on their promises.鈥�
Carr told the AP that he didn't speak because he was instead attending a campaign event at a restaurant in Dalton on Friday, emphasizing the importance of building personal relationships. Although Trump targeted him for defeat in the 2022 primary, Carr said he's confident that Republicans will support him, calling himself a 鈥減roud Kemp Republican," and saying he would focus on bread-and-butter issues.
鈥淭his state鈥檚 been built on agriculture, manufacturing, trade, the military, public safety,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淭hese are the issues that Georgians care about.鈥�
The easiest applause line all weekend was pledging to help beat Ossoff.
鈥淛on Ossoff should not be in office at all," said , who is spending heavily on television advertising to support his Senate run.
鈥淔olks, President Trump needs backup, he needs backup in the Senate,鈥� said state , who is also running for the Senate. "He鈥檚 going to need a four-year majority to get the job done. And that starts right here in the state of Georgia.鈥�
Former University of Tennessee football coach , who expressed interest Friday in running for Senate, did not address delegates.
But one , U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, did. Collins told delegates that in 2026 it was a priority to defeat Ossoff and replace him with a 鈥渟olid conservative.鈥�
It's not clear, though, if Collins himself will run.
鈥淲e're going to see how this thing plays out,鈥� Collins told the AP. 鈥淚'm not burning to be a senator, but we've got to take this seat back.鈥�
Jeff Amy, The Associated Press
