Georgia Republican Primary Shows Split Support for Trump-Endorsed Candidates
In Georgia's Republican primaries, voters backed Trump-favored Senate candidate Mike Collins but rejected his endorsed governor, Burt Jones, favoring outsider Rick Jackson.
Georgia Republicans delivered mixed outcomes for President Donald Trump on Tuesday, supporting his preferred Senate nominee while turning away his endorsed candidate for governor.
Mike Collins, a second-term congressman, won the Republican Senate primary, defeating former football coach Derek Dooley and advancing to a general-election contest against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff. Collins, who has echoed Trump’s claims of a rigged 2020 election in the state, thanked family and campaign staff in his victory remarks but did not mention the president.
In the gubernatorial race, healthcare entrepreneur Rick Jackson outspent and outperformed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who had Trump's backing. Jackson will face Democratic nominee former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in November. Trump congratulated Jackson on social media, noting the candidate’s successful campaign.
The president did not appear at any post-primary events, a departure from earlier primary nights when Republican candidates publicly praised him despite declining approval ratings. The results come as Trump’s influence is being tested ahead of the November midterms, which will decide control of Congress for the remainder of his second term.
"Trump’s mixed results in Georgia come after most of his preferred candidates have prevailed in primaries this spring," a political analyst noted.
