U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter says he's weighing 2026 run against Jon Ossoff

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., asks questions to Mike Bowen, executive vice president of Prestige Ameritech, during a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing to discuss protecting scientific integrity in response to the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday, May 14, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP).

Coastal Georgia U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter told an Atlanta television station on Tuesday that he’s considering a run in 2026 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Asked by WXIX-TV’s Zach Merchant if he was “contemplating” a run against Ossoff, Carter replied, “I won’t dispute that.”

The four-term congressman from St. Simons said he was concentrating first on his reelection campaign in November against Democrat Patti Hewitt of Richmond Hill. After that, he said, it would be a matter of having the “courage” and “fortitude” to follow “God’s plan” for him.