Georgia Primaries Deliver Rare Blow to Trump Endorsements
Tuesday’s primaries delivered a rare rebuke to Trump’s endorsement power in Georgia, while setting up critical Senate and gubernatorial races that will define the November midterms. The results signal that Trump’s grip on the GOP is not absolute, with implications for the balance of power in Congress.
Tuesday’s primary runoffs produced a split result for President Trump’s endorsement record, with Georgia Republicans rejecting his preferred gubernatorial candidate in the week’s most closely watched contest. Billionaire Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the Republican gubernatorial primary, dealing a rare rebuke to Trump’s influence over the state party.
Trump-aligned candidates fared better elsewhere on the same ballot. Republican Rep. Mike Collins, whom Trump endorsed after the May primary, defeated Derek Dooley and will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. Trump-backed candidates won two of three contested runoffs across Georgia and Alabama combined. The gubernatorial loss was a clear signal: Trump’s endorsement does not guarantee victory in statewide Republican contests heading into the November midterms.
Sources
Trump falls short in Georgia governor’s race: 5 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
Georgia Republicans dealt a blow to President Trump on Tuesday, bucking his preferred pick Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for billionaire Rick Jackson in the gubernatorial race.
Trump wins two, loses one: Georgia billionaire delivers rare blow to endorsement machine
Trump-backed candidates won two of three key GOP runoffs in Georgia and Alabama, but lost the gubernatorial race to billionaire Rick Jackson.
Collins wins Georgia Senate runoff, to challenge Ossoff
Republican Rep. Mike Collins defeated Derek Dooley and will face Sen. Jon Ossoff in November; Trump endorsed Collins after the May 19 primary.
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