"Steamroll the radical left" - that is the pitch. Here is how Georgia voters actually hear it: noise.
I ran a voter research study on the 2026 Georgia Senate race, asking real Georgians what they think of Mike Collins challenging Jon Ossoff. The finding that jumped out? Not a single voter was persuaded by the combative MAGA trucker positioning. In fact, it actively pushed them away.
This is a study about what works and what backfires in one of the most watched Senate races of 2026.
The Participants
I recruited 6 Georgia voters from Ditto's synthetic voter model. They include a community organizer in Athens, an analytics engineer in rural Georgia, a chef in Savannah, a rural retiree, an unemployed dad in Savannah, and an office manager in rural GA. They span the political spectrum from faith-centered conservatives to progressive Democrats, which makes their agreement on Collins' messaging all the more striking.
The Steamroll Problem
When I asked voters about Mike Collins positioning himself as a "MAGA trucker who will steamroll the radical left and deliver Trump's America First agenda," the response was unanimous: no.
That whole steamroll vibe turns me off. I work with neighbors all day, and you cannot steamroll your way through a pothole plan or an affordable housing conversation. It reads like rally talk, not governing.
That is Ashley, 35, a community organizer in Athens who describes herself as an Evangelical. The "steamroll" language fails across every demographic in this study:
Maggie, 39, LDS data architect: "Steamrolling your neighbors is not Christlike. I prefer leaders who de-escalate and deliver."
Tayvon, 27, Savannah chef: "Sounds like chest-thumping, not fixing anything. After what happened with Alex Pretti, I am real tired of politicians playing tough."
Kim, 65, rural retiree: "That steamroll talk turns me off. I like boring adults who fix roads, keep Social Security steady, and show the costs line by line."
Matthew, 41, unemployed dad: "Feels like pro-wrestling to me. I respect truckers, but this sounds like branding, not a plan."
Key insight: Collins' core messaging actively repels persuadable voters. It signals "fight people, not fix stuff" - the opposite of what these voters want.
The Ossoff Assessment
Ossoff fares better, but not because voters are enthusiastic. They see him as competent, prepared, and steady - but they want more visible wins.
Calm, prepared, does his homework. His office has been consistently responsive when our county needed clarity on federal grant timelines.
The pattern across voters is clear:
Perceived strengths: "Receipts-first vibe," "reads the briefings," "ethics focus"
Perceived weaknesses: "Drifts national," "soft-focus," "party-line sometimes"
The ask: more concrete, visible local wins they can point to
As Matthew put it: "Ossoff keeps me in play if he brings home visible port and training wins for coastal Georgia and keeps the cost-of-living focus tight without DC grandstanding."
Key insight: Ossoff's edge is being the "grown-up in the room" - but that advantage requires demonstrating results, not just temperament.
What Georgia Voters Actually Care About
When asked about top 2026 issues, Georgia voters focused on practical concerns:
Cost of living: rent, power bills, groceries, junk fees
Healthcare access: mental health, rural hospitals, affordable coverage
Housing: workforce units, not luxury boxes; protection from STR creep
Public safety with accountability: "fewer break-ins AND humane policing"
Infrastructure: sidewalks, transit, broadband that works
Immigration: "order without cruelty"
What they want from a Senate candidate:
Show up in their county and take unscripted questions
Concrete specifics: dollars, timelines, who is responsible
No dark money gymnastics
Quarterly town halls and a phone line with a human
Key insight: The winning formula is "boring competence" - show me the math, skip the drama.
What This Means for the Georgia Race
The implications for both campaigns are clear:
For Collins:
The "steamroll" positioning is counterproductive with persuadable voters
Trucking background could be an asset if framed around logistics, jobs, and competence
Culture-war messaging actively pushes away the voters needed to win
For Ossoff:
The "steady, prepared" positioning is working but needs proof points
Must demonstrate visible local wins that voters can name
Opportunity to consolidate support by staying in the competence lane
The Bottom Line
Georgia voters are tired of performative politics. They want candidates who "can stand in a hot kitchen and explain their plan without melting." Collins' combative messaging fails that test. Ossoff passes it, but needs to close the deal with results. The race may hinge on which campaign understands that in 2026, boring wins.
Want to test your own campaign messaging with real voters? Ditto lets you run studies like this in hours, not weeks. Book a demo at askditto.io.