Republican U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley spoke on WDUN Thursday morning, 10 days after he announced his Senate bid.
The former college football coach and Athens native told WDUN's "The Martha Zoller Show" that he believes his career in coaching taught him lessons that will serve him well in his bid for office.
"There is a lot of carryover as it relates to people," Dooley said. "I may not know 'politics' as people say it, but I do know people, and that's what I've been doing for 30 years, and I think that's why, once I get out and roll my sleeves up and start connecting with the Georgia people, they'll see why I'm doing this."
Dooley was a football coach for 28 total years in both college and the National Football League, including collegiate head coaching stints at Louisiana Tech (2007-2009) and Tennessee (2010-2012.) Dooley is the son of the late Hall of Fame Georgia Head Coach Vince Dooley.
Dooley is seeking the 2026 Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, with the winner of that primary to run against incumbent Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff. Dooley added that he's enjoyed the campaign process so far.
"It's good to get out and let people start learning who I am and what I'm about," Dooley said. "I'm ready to get out and tell my message...I think more than anything I've learned how much I'm really enjoying doing this. I love helping people, I love learning about people, I love interacting with people, especially people that really don't think like me in a lot of ways, because you can learn from everybody."
Dooley said he believes he could bring a unique voice to the Senate if elected.
"I'm asking a lot of questions, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can so I can better serve the people, and that's what I think we're missing," Dooley said. "I don't think enough legislatures up in D.C. listen to the people of Georgia and truly try to help solve their problems, and so that's what I'm going to try to be as a candidate."
Dooley criticized Ossoff and former U.S. President Joe Biden for their handling of immigration.
"Just because the border is closed (under current President Donald Trump) doesn't mean we have solved the crisis we're in now. I mean, there are still thousands, probably even more than than, of illegal immigrants who are violent criminals who are trying to wreak havoc on our communities," Dooley said. "We can't ignore the fact of what the Biden administration did and what Jon Ossoff supported in letting all these undocumented people come in."
Dooley has been endorsed by current Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, but faces a number of opponents in the Republican primary, including 10th District U.S. Representative Mike Collins and 1st District U.S. Representative Buddy Carter.
To hear more from Republican Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley, click play on the video above.
