Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s hand-picked candidate in a Senate primary might not be as lucky as Kemp was four years ago when he survived President Donald Trump’s bid to oust him. On Tuesday, Peach State voters are casting their ballots in two key Republican primary runoffs: choosing who will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in what will be one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races in November, and picking a nominee in the governor’s race.
Georgia Senate Primary
The Georgia GOP Senate primary runoff to take on Ossoff features an ideological split. Trump-endorsed Rep. Mike Collins has aligned himself with Trump’s brand, while Kemp-backed former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley says he did not vote in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Collins is seen as the frontrunner after winning more than 40% of the vote in the May 19 primary to Dooley’s 30%.
In the governor’s race, both Trump and Kemp have endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. However, he faces a stiff challenge from businessman Rick Jackson, who trailed Jones by about six percentage points in the primary. The GOP winner in that race will take on Democratic former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.
Other Primaries
Voters in Washington, DC, are choosing their next mayor in a ranked-choice primary, with the best-known contenders being Ward 4 Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George and former At-Large Councilman Kenyan McDuffie. In Alabama, the Republican primary runoff between Trump-endorsed Rep. Barry Moore and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson is another test of how willing voters in a deep-red state are to follow the president’s lead.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a conservative Republican, is term-limited, leading to a wide-open primary race to replace him. Trump has waded into the race, backing former state Sen. Mike Mazzei. Meanwhile, Oklahoma Republicans are also deciding a Senate primary, after Trump tapped former Sen. Markwayne Mullin as his homeland security secretary.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
