Trump-endorsed candidates secure Senate nominations while losing several governor primaries
In Tuesday's primaries, Republican Senate hopefuls backed by former President Donald Trump won in Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, but his endorsed gubernatorial candidates were defeated in Georgia and faced run-offs in Oklahoma.
Republican candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump won Senate nominations in Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma on Tuesday, while his backed gubernatorial hopefuls suffered defeats or were forced into run-offs. In Georgia, Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Mike Collins helped the former Army officer win the Republican Senate runoff, setting up a contest with Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Collins defeated Derek Dooley, who had the support of Governor Brian Kemp.
The governor’s race in Georgia saw Trump-backed Burt Jones lose to billionaire Rick Jackson, despite the former president’s repeated praise for Jones’s “Courage and Wisdom” on social media. Jackson, who spent roughly $100 million of his own money, will face Democrat former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the November general election.
In Alabama, Trump-endorsed congressman Barry Moore secured the Republican Senate nomination, defeating former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson. Moore, a three-term House member, promised to advance the former president’s “America First” agenda.
Oklahoma’s Republican primary also highlighted Trump’s influence. Former state senator Mike Mazzei, who received the former president’s endorsement two weeks before the vote, advanced to a runoff with Attorney General Gentner Drummond. In the Senate race, Trump-backed Rep. Kevin Hern captured 63.7 % of the vote, easily outpacing his rivals.
Other notable contests included a special election in California, where state senator Aisha Wahab emerged as the leading Democratic candidate to fill the remainder of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s seat. Voters in Oklahoma rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the state minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Overall, Trump’s endorsements have produced mixed results in gubernatorial primaries—seven of eleven backed candidates advanced to the general election, two proceeded to run-offs and two were defeated—while his influence remains strong in Senate races.
