Republican Georgia Mayor Says He’s Voting for Jon Ossoff: ‘People Expected Me to Turn My Back on Him’

Scott James Matheson, the Republican mayor of Valdosta, Georgia, endorsed Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) last week.

In a new interview with PBS Newshour, Matheson explained he and Ossoff have a “relationship” that has proven “beneficial” to himself and to Valdosta.

“It’s a relationship. I don’t know how it took root, but it’s been beneficial to myself as a mayor and the city of Valdosta,” Matheson explained.

Per PBS, Ossoff and Matheson’s relationship goes back to 2022, when the senator assisted the city with sourcing federal money for transit. Ossoff stepped up again when parts of the state were hit hard by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

When asked why he declined to endorse Ossoff’s opponent Rep. Mike Collins (R), Matheson added, “I don’t know him. I didn’t have that relationship. You develop a friendship. I think people expected me to turn my back on him. I think people thought I turned away from Jon Ossoff, and I’m just not built that way. There’s no way I’m going go turn my back on that, politics aside.”

Several buildings in Valdosta’s downtown were destroyed by Helene, and the city continued to grapple with the impact of the hurricane two years later. In September 2026, Ossoff announced he and Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock would deliver $500 million to upgrade state water infrastructure that was damaged by the storm.

The funding was the result of bipartisan planning and strategizing, and was also part of a series of long term funding deliveries, including $37 million to replace lead pipes, and over $1 million in upgrades to stormwater infrastructure. “Bringing Republicans and Democrats together, we are delivering these resources to help improve Georgia’s water infrastructure after Hurricane Helene,” Ossoff said at the time.

Ossoff, who is favored to win his race against Collins, will be joined by President Barack Obama at a rally in Atlanta on October 28.

Watch the above via PBS Newshour.

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