ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision not to run for U.S. Senate in 2026 could result in a competitive GOP primary among some candidates who have never won a statewide race.

On Monday, Kemp issued a statement that recapped “conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the US Senate in 2026.

RELATED: Gov. Brian Kemp says he won’t run for U.S. Senate

“After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.”

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff officially launched his reelection bid in March.

Kemp has long been at the top of the GOP’s wish list to challenge Ossoff, whom Republican leaders have made their biggest target in next year’s midterm elections.

Here are some other GOP candidates who could launch a challenge against Ossoff:

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents Georgia’s 1st district along the coast.

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, from Georgia’s 10th congressional district and main sponsor of the Laken Riley Act, which was the first bill passed out of the new Congress and the first bill signed into law by President Donald Trump at the outset of his second term.

“Republicans can absolutely win this Senate seat in Georgia, and I encourage all interested parties to fully commit and invest in the number one pick up opportunity in the country,” he said in a statement. “I will speak to President Trump and his team and do whatever is necessary to ensure he has another vote in the Senate for the America First agenda.”

U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, who represents metro Atlanta’s 7th congressional district.

Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John King, the first Hispanic Republican ever to win a Georgia statewide constitutional office.

King, who was appointed by Kemp and has been a close ally, heaped praise on Kemp, calling him “the best governor in America” in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, from northwest Georgia’s 14th congressional district and a prolific fundraiser who may have gone as far as she can go in the House. She has said she’s considering running for Senate or governor in 2026, but her entry into either race would likely prompt internal opposition from more traditional Republicans, including those aligned with Kemp.

Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was first elected to the position in 2018 and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2022. There have been rumblings that he could potentially run for governor or senator.

Raffensperger, long a target of Trump because of his unwillingness to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden in Georgia, was noncommittal on Monday.

“All options are on the table,” said Jordan Fuchs, a spokesperson for Raffensperger.

A number of top-tier Republicans appear to have excluded themselves by taking top positions in President Donald Trump’s administration, including former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, currently secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, head of the Small Business Administration; and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, ambassador-designate to China.

Georgia’s 2026 Senate campaign is likely to be closely contested and expensive. The twin Senate races in 2020, when Ossoff and Raphael Warnock narrowly won and flipped control of the body to Democrats, cost more than $900 million combined, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks political spending.

Warnock’s 2022 reelection over Republican Herschel Walker cost more than $470 million, OpenSecrets found.

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