U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, qualified for the U.S. Senate race Monday morning.

Qualifying for the race began Monday in the James H. “Sloppy” Floyd Building across from the Capitol in Atlanta.

“This race is about ideas. It’s about the people of Georgia,” Collins said in a video posted on social media. “It’s not about how much money you spend. It’s about the people like my daughter and my sons, who are the ones who are inheriting a future in Georgia.” 

Collins’ Republican opponent Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to fill the Senate seat, also qualified Monday.

“We have great momentum,” Loeffler said in a video. “I’m humbled by the grassroots support and by the new folks coming into our party who support me and our positive campaign.”

A special election for the Senate seat will be held Nov. 3, the same day as the general election. A primary election will not be held for the seat.

Former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson retired in December, and following Isakson’s retirement announcement, Kemp asked Georgians for applications for the Senate position. Collins applied for the position and gained the support of President Donald Trump. 

Loeffler has been in the Senate seat since January.

As of Tuesday morning, two Democrats had qualified to run for the seat, Tamara Johnson-Shealey and Richard Dien Winfield. Allen Buckley qualified as an independent, and Brian Slowinski qualified as a libertarian.