Republican Mayor in Trump-Won Georgia County Says He's Voting for Jon Ossoff

Scott James Matheson, the Republican mayor of Valdosta, Georgia, told Liz Landers on PBS NewsHour that he will vote for Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November. He describes his reason as a personal relationship that has paid off for his city, not any change in his politics.

The interview was part of a NewsHour report from Georgia on Republican Representative Mike Collins's uphill race against Ossoff. Landers reported from Valdosta, the seat of Lowndes County, which Donald Trump carried by about 18 points in 2024: 28,014 votes to Kamala Harris' 19,395, according to county results reported by the Valdosta Daily Times.

"I'm very conservative by nature," Matheson said. Asked why he was backing Ossoff, he said: "It's a relationship. I don't know how it took root, but boy, it's been beneficial to myself as a mayor and to the city of Valdosta."

Why Valdosta's Mayor Is Backing Ossoff Over Mike Collins

Landers asked Matheson why he was not endorsing Collins, who represents a district not far from Valdosta. Matheson said he does not know Collins and framed his choice as a matter of friendship.

"I don't know him. I didn't have that relationship. You develop a friendship," Matheson said.

He said he thought some people expected him to turn his back on the senator. "I think people thought that I turned away from Jon Ossoff and I'm just not built that way," he said. "There's no way I'm gonna turn my back on that politics aside."

The mayor's office he holds is nonpartisan. Valdosta elects its mayor and council in nonpartisan municipal elections. Before Matheson and Ossoff became friends, Matheson was a conservative radio host who criticized the senator. He said their first meeting was "standoffish," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in August.

Transit Money and a Hurricane Visit

The relationship has a paper trail. In March 2022, Ossoff's office announced that Congress had passed $993,000 he secured for Valdosta On-Demand, the city's transit service, to buy more vehicles. In that announcement, Matheson thanked the senator "for his support of our fully on-demand transit initiative."

Hurricane Helene hit South Georgia in September 2024. Ossoff planned to survey the damage in Valdosta and volunteer at a food distribution site on Sept. 28. NewsHour reported that he was the first national politician to visit the scene. Trump, then the Republican presidential nominee, visited the city two days later.

Matheson told Landers that affordability is the issue he hears about most from residents. "It's a very expensive walk through life right now," he said. "I never thought that a power bill at my house would be more than my first two mortgages."

Other Republicans Crossing Over in Georgia

Matheson is not the only Republican in the region backing Ossoff. In August, Tifton Mayor Julie Smith, also a Republican, told the AJC that Ossoff had been "very good to South Georgia." Both mayors said they still support Republican Rick Jackson for governor. The AJC also reported that former Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake has endorsed Ossoff.

Notably, Matheson's support breaks with how his county usually votes. In Ossoff's January 2021 runoff, Republican David Perdue won Lowndes County with about 57 percent to Ossoff's 43 percent, according to unofficial county results.

What the Georgia Senate Polls Show

The Ossoff-Collins race is leaning toward the incumbent. Ossoff leads Collins 52.7 percent to 42.8 percent in PolitiKool's polling average for Georgia, a margin of 9.9 points. In PolitiKool's polling average for the Senate, control of the chamber remains a toss-up.

With Ossoff already ahead, crossover voters in counties like Lowndes may matter less to the outcome than to the size of his margin. Matheson made clear his vote is about one senator, not a party: "I'm just not built that way."