Republicans have identified Georgia’s U.S. Senate election in 2026 as an opportunity to widen their margin over Democrats in the U.S. Senate. After Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s announcement that she will not seek re-election in New Hampshire, all eyes are on Georgia’s Senate race.

“Every battleground state — Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and Minnesota – is in play, and we play to win,” Nick Puglia, National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) regional press secretary, said in a statement to Fox News Digital after Shaheen’s announcement Wednesday. 

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., the first-term senator who helped secure a Democratic majority in 2021, is one of the only Democratic senators up for re-election in a state President Donald Trump won in 2024. Trump won battleground Georgia by just over two percentage points in 2024. 

“Jon Ossoff is a Democrat with extreme and reckless policies,” Puglia added. “Ossoff wants biological males to be allowed to compete in women’s sports, took a backseat after the tragic murder of Laken Riley and is too weak to stand up to pro-Hamas radicals in his party. Georgians deserve better.” 

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Ossoff’s office did not reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the deadline of this article. 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the popular term-limited Republican, is the GOP’s ideal candidate in 2026 as it challenges Ossoff and seeks to expand its 53-47 Senate majority. 

While the governor has not announced a formal bid for the U.S. Senate in 2026, Kemp acknowledged in an interview with Fox News Digital last month, “We’ll have something to say on that down the road.”

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“We need to flip that seat,” Kemp said. “We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we’ll have one after the ’26 election.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stands for an interview with Fox News Digital, his first after being elected Republican Governors Association chair Nov, 20, 2024, on Marco Island, Fla, (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

Ossoff, 38, became the first millennial elected to the U.S. Senate in 2021, unseating former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., in a runoff election. 

During his fourth year in office, Ossoff highlighted “historic upgrades for Georgia’s infrastructure through the bipartisan infrastructure law,” his commitment to supporting Georgia veterans, efforts to secure relief after Hurricane Helene, his public safety initiatives and work to expand healthcare across the state. 

Ossoff has issued a series of press releases countering Trump’s executive actions since he returned to the White House in January. Ossoff has led efforts to unfreeze federal funding, raised concern over programs cut by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and rejected the Department of Veterans Affairs’ plans to cut 80,000 jobs. 

The Georgia senator voted against a bill last week that would have prevented biological males from participating in women’s and girls sports, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement, “This bill was overreach.” 

The New York Times reported last month that a bipartisan group of Jewish leaders in Atlanta asked Kemp to consider running for Ossoff’s senate seat. The letter came after Ossoff voted to block a weapons transfer to Israel and criticized Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza. Ossoff is Georgia’s first Jewish senator. 

Ossoff was one of 12 Senate Democrats who voted to pass the Laken Riley Act, named for the 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant while jogging at the University of Georgia last year. The Laken Riley Act imposes increased penalties for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes in the United States.

Prior to serving in the U.S. Senate, Ossoff narrowly lost his campaign to represent Georgia’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2017. 

In addition to Georgia, the NRSC has identified New Hampshire, Michigan and Minnesota as key battleground states for the 2026 midterm elections. 

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Shaheen’s announcement that she will not seek re-election in New Hampshire could further complicate the Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the U.S. Senate. However, it has been 15 years since Republicans last won a Senate election in New Hampshire. 

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., speaks before President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on lowering the cost of prescription drugs at NHTI Concord Community College Oct. 22, 2024, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

“Another one! Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing commonsense Republicans and will do so again in 2026,” Sen. Tim Scott, the NRSC chair, said in a statement to Fox News after her announcement. 

Republicans also have their eyes on Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced he will not seek re-election next year. Trump won Michigan by just over a percentage point in 2024.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., also took her name out of the running for another term in the U.S. Senate. Trump lost Minnesota by over four points to former Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz, Minnesota’s governor.

A Virginia Republican lawmaker is blasting Democratic leaders in Richmond, after what she characterized as their hasty dispatching of a fresh piece of legislation she authored targeting sex offenders and people deemed dangerous to children.

Delegate Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, who herself won a “Biden+12” district in what is the state’s most Democratic municipality per-capita, said protecting the public from sexual deviants transcends party lines.

“[This] isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a basic duty of any community that values safety and decency,” Taylor told Fox News Digital.

“These individuals, with proven histories of predatory behavior, pose a real threat when allowed unrestricted access to public spaces like parks, schools or locker rooms.”

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Taylor alleged her bill, HB 2527 – which would have prohibited most sex offenders from “loitering” within state parks and other places where they would be in “proximity to children,” including schools, playgrounds, daycares and the like – was wrongly and quietly terminated.

The bill was listed as last referred to the Courts of Justice Committee, but with the legislature adjourned “sine die” – essentially ending the session – barring a rare special session being called, the bill was never heard nor voted on and is considered “dead.”

“This should not be about politics, it should be about prioritizing the vulnerable over political gamesmanship,” said Taylor, who added she had also drafted another never-heard bill toughening penalties for sex trafficking.

“Time and time and again, Democrats have dismissed or killed commonsense legislation that would protect women and children.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Delegates Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, Courts Committee chair, and Marcus Simon, D-Dunn Loring, committee vice chair, for comment. Neither lawmaker returned calls.

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Mugshot of sex offender Richard Cox (Arlington County Sheriff’s Office)

Delegate Wren Williams, R-Stuart, who co-sponsored Taylor’s bill, blamed Democrats across Virginia – particularly in the committee leaders’ districts – for “jeopardizing the safety of women and girls by refusing to support commonsense legislation.”

Williams said there is a heightened threat from registered sex offenders in public spaces, specifically citing the case of Richard Kenneth Cox – a serial flasher who has recently faced dozens of charges in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.

Local media reported Cox has faced more than 20 charges in Arlington County alone, including reports reaching back to the 1990s when he was accused of masturbating in front of children.

Cox has also had recent encounters with Fairfax County police, including one in November. Bodycam footage aired by FOX5DC purportedly shows Cox claiming a civil rights violation for identifying as a transgender woman – after authorities responded to reports of Cox “lurking” in a Fairfax gym’s locker room.

Williams argued that the legislation is urgently needed, and claimed Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano “prioritize[s] woke ideology over the well-being of our communities.” Washington’s ABC affiliate reported that the prosecutor had dismissed charges against Cox.

“There is no justification for allowing someone like Richard Cox, a convicted sex offender with a disturbing criminal record, to waltz into girls’ locker rooms unchecked,” Williams said in characterizing the case as the poster child for the necessity of Taylor’s bill.

Drivers are welcomed to Virginia near Lee Highway in Arlington. (Getty)

“Democrats have repeatedly killed practical bills that would enforce stricter protections and penalties, choosing instead to coddle predators under the guise of tolerance,” he said, calling the overall behavior on the left in Richmond a “betrayal” of women.

Fox News Digital reached out to Descano for a response. The prosecutor’s office did tell ABC7 that prosecutors are not involved in cases that are “pro se (without an attorney) misdemeanors.” The outlet later quoted a local attorney who found the indecent exposure nonprosecution “unusual.”

The Cox case, however, did draw the attention of other leaders in the heavily Democratic county, as Fairfax Board Chairman Jeffrey McKay reportedly said Taylor’s bill may have been beneficial.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, criticized McKay to ABC7, claiming Taylor’s bill had “nothing to do with local parks… or recreational facilities,” and suggested a change in policy on “which dressing rooms people can use” would be helpful.

The mysterious disappearance of an American college student in the Dominican Republic has captured national and international attention.

Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student from Loudoun County, Virginia, was last seen walking on a beach outside the five-star RIU Republica Resort in the early morning hours of March 6. She has yet to be located.

Here is what we know so far about the events leading up to and after Konanki’s disappearance:

March 3

Konanki arrived in the Dominican Republic with her friends on March 3. They stayed at the the five-star RIU Republica Resort with a group of six female Pitt students, according to authorities.

March 4

The RIU Republica experienced a power outage that began during the early morning hours of March 4 into Wednesday, March 5.

March 5

The majority of the electrical outage lasts until 1:27 a.m. on March 5, and after 3 a.m., “service was restored to 70%,” RIU Resorts and Hotels told Fox News Digital.

The remaining 30% of the electrical outage lasted through March 5 and into March 6.

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US college student Sudiksha Konanki went missing while on vacation with her friends in Punta Cana on March 6, 2025.  (Fox News Graphics)

Konanki went to a hotel bar with her friends, presumably until the early morning hours of March 6.

March 6

3 a.m.

“[T]he remaining power supply was fully reinstated on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, specifically at 02:13 AM, which is before the time of the disappearance,” RIU Resorts and Hotels said. “The lobby and common areas remained powered throughout the entire day of March 5 and the early hours of March 6.

The hotel company followed up saying, “In response to publications linking the electrical failure experienced at the Riu Republica hotel with the tragic disappearance of guest Sudiksha Chowdary Konanki, RIU Hotels & Resorts wishes to firmly clarify that both events are completely unrelated.”

Local authorities search for missing US student, Sudiksha Konanki in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was last seen on March 6 on a beach outside the five-star RIU Republica Resort in the Dominican Republic (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

3:30 a.m. – 3:55 a.m.

Surveillance cameras captured Konanki and a group of friends in the hotel lobby around 3:30 a.m., sharing and consuming some type of beverage in the area. They moved to a hotel bar called Bar Macao at approximately 3:55 a.m., sharing another type of beverage, according to officials.

4:17 a.m.

The group of eight friends walks to the beach from the hotel bar. During the power outage, surveillance cameras were still working to capture video of Konanki walking with a young man, who had his arms wrapped around her shoulders after 4 a.m. on March 6.

Local authorities search for missing US student, Sudiksha Konanki in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was last seen on a beach outside the five-star RIU Republica Resort in the Dominican Republic on March 6. 2025. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

“The last recorded image of her was at 04:17 AM, when she was seen leaving a hotel bar in a group heading towards the beach. RIU staff acted appropriately upon being notified of the disappearance, fulfilling their duty to inform the authorities, with whom, as expected, cooperation has been absolute,” the hotel group said.

There was a red flag warning of high waves posted at the beach as a recommendations for visitors to not enter the water.

WATCH THE HOTEL SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE:

4:50 a.m.

Konanki was seen for the last time around 4:50 a.m. walking on the beach outside the RIU Republica, according to a flyer being circulated online. 

5:55 a.m.

The footage then shows a group of six people, including five women and one man, returning to the hotel from the beach around 5:55 a.m.

Local authorities search for missing US student, Sudiksha Konanki in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was last seen on March 6 on a beach outside the five-star RIU Republica Resort in the Dominican Republic (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

One person reportedly stayed behind with Konanki on the beach into the early morning hours of March 6, ABC News reported, citing an investigative police report. 

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A member of the civil defense canine unit searches on Monday for Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, last week. (AP/Francesco Spotorno)

9:00 a.m.

The young man previously seen with Konanki is seen on surveillance footage entering the interior of the hotel around 9:00 a.m. on March 6.

La Policia Nacional, the country’s national police force, later said the young man is under investigation.

He apparently said he was in the water at the same beach, and authorities were questioning him in an attempt to corroborate his version of events, according to a translation of a Spanish-language statement from police.

Military personnel search for Sudiksha Konanki, a college student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Francesco Spotorno)

Local outlet Noticias SIN similarly reported that a man, who was also a guest at the same resort, was the last person seen with Konanki and reportedly told police several different versions of what happened.

The man reportedly said he entered the water with Konanki, but the rough surf made him sick, so he went back to shore, leaving Konanki in the water.

In another version of the story, he said he felt sick and left Konanki in knee-deep water before he passed out on the beach. The man additionally claimed he saw Konanki walking on the beach before he fell asleep on the beach, according to reporting from Noticias SIN.

4 p.m.

Konanki’s friends reported her missing around 4 p.m. on March 6.

People enjoy time on the beach the sea at the RIU  Republica Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was last seen on March 6 on a beach outside the five-star RIU Republica Resort in the Dominican Republic (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)

March 7

The search for Konanki ensues. Authorities find her sandals and a sarong-style beach gown on a chair by the beach.

March 8

The Embassy of India in the Dominican Republic said it is working with the State Department and law enforcement on the ground, according to a Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

Sudiksha Konanki appears in an undated photo on her TikTok profile. She was last seen on March 6 at a resort beach in Punta Cana. (@sudikshakonanki/TikTok)

“Our Sheriff’s Office is supporting those efforts and continuing to investigate locally,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Saturday morning.

Defensa Civil Dominicana, a Dominican Republic search and rescue force, completed a full day’s search with operations scheduled to resume on Sunday.

“The Orange Search and Rescue Unit, along with other institutions, worked from early Saturday hours, trying to find the whereabouts of the young woman, Sudiksha Konanki, without success,” the agency said in a social media post.

Sudiksha Konanki was last seen in the early morning hours of March 6. (Facebook)

RIU Hotels said in a statement one of its guests has not been seen since the early hours of March 6.

“From the moment her absence was reported, we have been working closely with the local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search,” RIU Hotels said in a statement. “We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. The safety and well-being of our guests are our highest priority, and we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation.”

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The hotel added  that its team is “providing full support to the authorities in the search, and an emergency protocol has been activated to ensure that all necessary measures are taken.”

One report suggested Sudiksha Konanki drowned in the ocean in Punta Cana after getting swept up by a big wave. (AP/Francesco Spotorno)

March 9

Defensa Civil Dominicana resumed its search for Konanki at 6 a.m. on Sunday.

March 10

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told “Fox & Friends” on Monday morning his office is “still in the information-gathering stage.”

“Her friends have all been accounted for, that is the good news,” he said. “Obviously, our heart breaks for the family. We want to find her, we want to hopefully find her safe and sound. Right now, there is just so much that we don’t know.” 

Military personnel and civil defense members search for Sudiksha Konanki, a student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Francesco Spotorno)

When asked about a Monday report that Konanki may have drowned, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital authorities “have heard this and have seen no evidence presented at this time.”

“As of last night, investigators were still actively interviewing persons who may have seen or been says her last Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, as well as reviewing surveillance video and phone records to help ascertain what happened and why,” spokesperson Thomas Julia said.

March 11

The Tuesday after Konanki’s Thursday morning disappearance, Julia told Fox News Digital that an American man in his 20s was a person of interest in the case.

That man said via phone call that he did not want to comment “at this time.”

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the LCSO at 703-777-1021. To remain anonymous, call the Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. 

Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Greg Norman, Lorraine Taylor and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.