Trump Endorsements Falter as Big Money and Grassroots Challenge GOP Establishment
Tuesday’s Republican primaries revealed that Trump’s influence is waning, especially when confronted by billionaire spending and local organizing, as seen in Georgia. While his picks succeeded in some conservative strongholds, progressive and grassroots candidates are making inroads, and the party remains fractured.
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President Donald Trump’s endorsement, once considered a near-guarantee in Republican primaries, showed clear signs of weakness on Tuesday. In Georgia, billionaire health-care executive Rick Jackson poured over $100 million—mostly his own fortune—into defeating Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the governor’s runoff. Jackson, who had finished second in the May primary, will now face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a progressive leader, in November’s general election.
"I am proud to support Burt Jones for his courage and wisdom," Trump posted on social media, doubling down on his support for a candidate who ultimately lost to the power of big money and local organizing.
In Oklahoma, Trump’s late endorsement of former state Sen. Mike Mazzei failed to deliver a decisive victory, with Mazzei only narrowly advancing to a runoff against Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Meanwhile, in Iowa, Trump’s pick, Rep. Randy Feenstra, was defeated by Zach Lahn, further exposing cracks in Trump’s grip on the party.
Trump’s influence held in Alabama, where his endorsement of Rep. Barry Moore for the U.S. Senate led to Moore’s victory over outsider and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson. The Senate seat is open as Sen. Tommy Tuberville seeks the governor’s office, highlighting the constant churn of Republican power brokers.
The primaries also exposed deep divisions within the GOP. In the District of Columbia, Janeese Lewis George, a proud democratic socialist, and her rivals faced off under a new ranked-choice voting system, delaying results and giving voice to more progressive perspectives. Lewis George openly criticized Trump’s threats to interfere in the city’s leadership, underscoring the stakes for democracy.
In Georgia, Republicans chose State Rep. Tim Fleming for secretary of state, narrowly defeating Vernon Jones, who had peddled baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Fleming, while acknowledging past irregularities, distanced his campaign from the right-wing obsession with election denial.
California’s special primary to replace Rep. Eric Swalwell saw progressive state Sen. Aisha Wahab and BART director Melissa Hernandez advance, signaling a shift toward more inclusive and forward-thinking representation.
These results demonstrate that Trump’s endorsement is no longer a golden ticket. Massive campaign spending, grassroots activism, and local dynamics are reshaping the Republican landscape, challenging the party’s reactionary establishment.
